It’s Asparagus Season; Use It Whenever You Can

This time of year, asparagus, my favorite vegetable - in fact, one of my most favorite foods, period - is everywhere.

Other than the thinnest stalks, asparagus needs to cook to a certain point of tenderness to release its wonderful, murky flavor and aroma. Cook the thin stalks al dente for their vibrant green color, but don’t expect as nice a taste as, say, a slightly longer cooked version of the thicker stalks.

The trick to keeping any asparagus green is to quickly parboil it, leaving it still firm. Then flash it under cold running water, or better yet, plunge it into a generous amount of ice water to immediately stop the cooking. Lay the stalks on paper towels to sop up extra moisture. Then, before you’re ready to serve it, finish the cooking by simmering it in some butter or olive oil.

Thin stalks of asparagus come from young root stocks. They are tender and don’t require peeling or preliminary blanching. They also have little flavor and are nice to throw into vegetable ragouts or used to garnish fish, poultry and white meats.

They’re good cut up and stir-fried. They’re cute, but not for the serious. What else can you say? Simply trim the bottom inch of the stalk and blanch spears for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes in boiling salted water.

Medium-size stalks are sweet, but don’t have what I describe as a strong essence-of-asparagus flavor, that flavor between the astringency of an artichoke and the sulfuric odor of overcooked broccoli. They require no peeling, but the stalk ends are stringy and must be trimmed.

The best way of knowing where to trim is to snap each stalk individually. The stalk should snap at the point where it becomes tender then boil in copious amounts of salted water for 5 to 7 minutes.

Jumbo green asparagus are the best of all - the king of vegetables. Their store of sugar has been used to develop the stringy, not woody, outer skin, and the green chlorophyll flavor has developed. The texture is tender yet meaty. Cook jumbo asparagus until tender, but not mushy, for 8 to 10 minutes.

In order to avoid overcooking the tender asparagus tips, some people tie asparagus into bundles and stand them in water in specially designed asparagus cookers. I find that it’s more important to cook asparagus in a larger quantity of water than is possible using an asparagus cooker. If carefully handled, the tips shouldn’t get damaged, even when cooked in a large pot.

Asparagus Tian

Adapted from “La Table de Provencal,” by Guy Gedda.

3 pounds large green asparagus

3/4 whipping cream

Dash freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

1 tablespoon lemon juice

3 tablespoons shredded Swiss cheese

Peel asparagus and trim ends. Cook in boiling salted water 6 minutes or until barely tender. Drain asparagus and place in ice water bath. When cold, remove and drain on paper towels. Cut each stalk into 4 pieces and set aside.

Combine cream, nutmeg, salt, pepper and lemon juice in skillet and set over medium heat. Bring to boil. Cook 1 to 2 minutes. Add asparagus and cook until asparagus is very tender and cream begins to thicken.

Transfer contents of skillet to 12-inch-diameter baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 375 degrees until golden, about 7 minutes. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings.

Angel Hair Pasta with Asparagus, Dried Tomatoes and Pine Nuts

6 pieces dried tomatoes

1/4 cup white wine

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup minced shallots

1/2 pound pencil-thin green asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces

1/4 cup pine nuts

1/4 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup whipping cream

Salt, pepper

1/2 pound angel hair pasta, cooked according to package directions until al dente and drained

Grated pecorino or Parmesan cheese

Soak tomatoes briefly in wine to soften slightly. Coarsely chop tomatoes and set aside in any extra liquid.

Heat oil in skillet. Add shallots, asparagus and pine nuts and cook 1 minute, tossing. Add broth, cream and tomatoes and cook until liquid is reduced to saucelike consistency, 7 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss with pasta and serve immediately. Offer grated cheese on the side.

Yield: 4 servings.