A is For Asparagus

A is for asparagus, the first vegetable of spring.

B is for…oh, never mind.  Let’s stick with asparagus for a while. It’s coming up in the garden right now and will only be here for a few weeks. It lets me know that I will be able to eat from my garden for many months to come.

The strongest memory of asparagus from my childhood is from the Jewish holiday of Passover, which to me signifies renewal and rebirth of the garden, as much as any serious religious meaning. We had dozens of people at our family Seder and a big part of the meal was pounds and pounds of steamed asparagus, presumably transported from California. It wasn’t until many years later that we realized that for such a crowd it made sense to cook them ahead of time and serve them chilled with a simple vinaigrette. A delicious option, especially for a large crowd or leftovers.

At that time, asparagus was available only for a month or two in the spring. Now, of course, you can get asparagus year-round, imported from faraway lands. While I love the vegetable, I refuse to buy it at other times of the year, and since I grow my own, I almost never purchase it. That’s because there is no comparison with asparagus picked fresh from the garden and cooked within minutes of harvest. I guess I’m spoiled.

Growing asparagus in the garden is not hard, but it is an investment that does take some planning. Because it is a perennial (a bed can last many, many years, emerging early every spring), you must prepare for it carefully. You have to choose the perfect spot where it can grow on its own, undisturbed. Since you don’t dig it up, you must take time to prepare the bed with appropriate soil and nutrients. And since you can’t harvest a crop for the first couple of years after planting, you are always tempted to put off starting your bed until the next year. Don’t wait. One more year without planting is one more year without harvesting the freshest spears you will ever eat.

Grilled Asparagus

I make asparagus in many ways: steamed with nothing on them; chilled with a simple vinaigrette as discussed above; sautéed in a tablespoon of sesame oil and sprinkled with sesame seeds; tucked into an omelet or frittata; and, wrapped in prosciutto and broiled. But one of the simplest ways to let their fresh flavor stand out is by simply grilling them. Grilled asparagus make for an excellent accompaniment to a main course, or part of a diverse antipasto platter.

10 minutes, 3 servings

1 lb. asparagus

1 Tbsp. olive oil

Sprinkling of sea salt or kosher salt

1. Hold the woody end of the asparagus in your hand, and bend the stalk with your other hand so it breaks at its natural breaking point. Discard the woody ends (or make soup with them).
2. Heat a gas or charcoal grill to high.
3. On a plate, brush the asparagus with olive oil.
4. Place asparagus on the grill and cook them, turning and rolling as needed to prevent the thinner parts from getting overdone. They should take about 4 or 5 minutes. You do not want to overcook them, as well-done asparagus are mushy. Just a touch of crunch is about right, and remember that the residual heat will continue to cook them a bit after you remove them from the fire. If you need to sacrifice one to test it, that’s okay; a cook should always taste their food.
5. When they are done, remove asparagus from the heat to a serving platter and sprinkle with salt.

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