asparagus
I love asparagus and have always considered them a ‘special’ vegetable only to be eaten at certain times of the year. This might be due to my childhood. When I was growing up, asparagus was not readily available throughout the year (unlike today) and we typically only ate it when it was in season. In most countries in the Northern hemisphere, asparagus comes into season from May to June. It is a vegetable that heralds the beginning of summer. When I lived in the South of France, I was lucky enough to enjoy big, thick white asparagus which is a favorite of the French. White asparagus is asparagus that has never seen the light of day. Mounds of earth are placed on top of the planted asparagus seeds/roots so that the asparagus spears never see the light of the day as they grow. Green asparagus is picked once it has been exposed to the sun for a couple of days and turns color as the chlorophyll develops. Here in the US and in the UK, green asparagus is preferred and is what is readily available.
Asparagus is rich in folate. Folate is one of the B-vitamins and is needed to make red and white blood cells in the bone marrow, convert carbohydrates into energy, and produce DNA and RNA. Adequate folate intake is extremely important during periods of rapid growth such as pregnancy, infancy, and adolescence. Recommended folate intake increases for pregnant women as it helps prevent neural tube defects in the fetus.
When it comes to cooking with asparagus, I love simplicity. I grew up eating asparagus with hollandaise sauce (which I love!) but nowadays I simply steam my asparagus for a couple of minutes or roast my asparagus in the oven and serve it with some olive oil or melted butter. This weekend I plan on making asparagus risotto which seems to be a favorite way of cooking asparagus in Europe. I will let you know how it goes!
I’m excited that asparagus season has returned even if it’s only for a couple of weeks! I was lucky enough to get some fresh asparagus from The Home Ranch last week and enjoyed making this recipe. Enjoy!
Roasted Asparagus
Adding sliced lemons to your asparagus while roasting them imparts a delicate tangy flavor to the asparagus.
Ingredients
1 bunch of asparagus, ends trimmed
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1/2 lemon thinly sliced
salt and pepper
Creating the Magic!
Preheat the oven to 400F. Place the asparagus in a large bowl. Add the olive oil, salt and pepper and combine well. Place the asparagus on a foil lined baking sheet. Place the thinly sliced sliced lemons on top of the asparagus. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Check the asparagus and cook for a further 5 minutes if needed. Enjoy!