Along with ramps, fiddleheads and rhubarb, asparagus is a harbinger of summer, a clarion that the winter is behind us and fresh produce is starting to roll out of farmers’ fields. There aren’t many chefs, restaurant patrons and home cooks who don’t look forward to the season.
Farmers’ markets are the best bet for fresh, local asparagus: try eating a beautiful green stalk raw immediately after it has been picked: it has amazing flavour and juiciness.
The season is short but sweet
The crop grows well in many areas in the southwestern part of the province, according to Asparagus Growers of Ontario, but there are a few nearby growers, such as Jardin Rochon Gardens in Edwards, Ont., if you are able to visit them at area farmers’ markets.
Depending on the species, the plant’s earliest, most tender stalks might be a vibrant apple green with a tip tinged with purple – the colour that we associate with royalty. And the slender vegetable is indeed a royal guest as it starts to appear on restaurant menus. In fact, the earlier in the season, the sweeter the asparagus.
Asparagus stalks grow from underground rhizomes and because they must be picked by hand it helps explain the vegetable’s price at times. Generally, asparagus season runs between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day – key dates that should already be in your calendar.
As the season rolls through its prime months of May and June and approaches July, the rhizomes begin to weaken and become depleted leaving the asparagus less flavourful.
As for the odoriferous “asparagus pee” phenomenon, it happens to many people who eat asparagus but not everyone. A compound called asparagusic acid is metabolized into a chemical which is related to methanthiol – the essence of skunk spray.
A centuries’ old dish
The ancient Romans loved the stalk; none other than Julius Caesar simply ate it with his hands. There’s even a Roman phrase: “Faster than you can cook asparagus.”
Centuries later, ancient chefs created special cooking vessels which kept the thicker stalks submerged in the cooking liquid while leaving the delicate tips above water to be steamed.
On occasion, you might come across antique serving bowls inventively designed specifically for the for the shape of asparagus which have hollow sides that were filled with boiling water to keep the freshly cooked asparagus warm.
At the table, beurre noisette, with its dark hazelnut flavour and colour, has been drizzled over asparagus for centuries of dining.
Asparagi alla Parmigiana is an authentic dish of Emilia-Romagna, wherein resides Parma, Italy: cooked asparagus tips are sprinkled generously with Parmesan cheese and melted butter. In Tuscany, a food Mecca if there ever were one, asparagus soup is made with saffron, pine nuts and pistachios.
White asparagus, a more expensive version of the vegetable, but one that retains a certain perceived luxury quality, is popular in Europe. It is grown covered with mounds of earth to inhibit chlorophyll production and has to be harvested by being cut underground, a labour-intensive process that adds to its cost.
Wherever you get your asparagus, use the time-honoured manual method of preparing asparagus: gently bend the stalk with the fingers of both hands lightly holding opposite ends – aiming for the point where woody and tender meet – and snap it off.
If needed, you can finish the preparation by shaving the remaining tougher end with a harp peeler to create a more uniform size for cooking.
Treat your asparagus with love
Asparagus loses its freshness very quickly – in a matter of hours actually and more rapidly than other vegetables, especially in the first 24 hours.
Store asparagus in the cool and away from light. The stalk continues to draw on its sugars becoming tougher and less juicy: re-invigorate it before cooking by adding about a teaspoon of sugar to a half-cup of water and soak the asparagus before cooking.
In terms of ways to serve asparagus, simple is often best. You can do the Julius Caesar trick: just prepare the asparagus spears with a dose of melted butter, as he liked it. Adding a bit of fennel to the butter gives a lovely anise flavour to the dish.
Grilling raw asparagus and then giving it a liberal salting and peppering along with a squeeze of lemon, a few glugs of some good olive oil and perhaps shavings of Parmesan cheese is an excellent way to highlight this bit of early summer. Grill the spears in batches according to their diameter for even cooking.
When the season is moving toward its close, a classic cream of asparagus soup may be in order; garnish it with the delicate blanched tips and a drizzle of cream or olive oil to present it simply and beautifully.
Another classic, asparagus Polonaise, is ready for a culinary comeback when it comes to the spears: dress cooked hot asparagus with hard-boiled egg yolk that has been passed through a fine-meshed sieve, drizzle with melted butter and golden-toasted breadcrumbs.
As a salad, mix grilled asparagus pieces with a bit of pesto, Parmesan and perhaps some slices of smoked salmon. Toss with olive oil and lemon juices, a few croutons and top with a sunny-side up egg. Garnish with Parmesan shavings.
For the morning meal, there are few breakfasts as delicious as an omelette with fresh asparagus tips and a few scallions, cut on the bias, for garnish. Simple and scrumptious.
While fresh asparagus is best, remember that asparagus is remarkable as a preserve, so consider a quick pickle.
To do that, combine a mix of vinegars with about 100 grams of sugar per litre of liquid. Add a couple of peppercorns, some garlic and spices and herbs like tarragon or rosemary. Boil the mixture, pour it over the asparagus in jars and store in the fridge. You will be able to enjoy the local asparagus of May and long after the fields have been picked clean.
