It’s so nice to see fresh spring produce finding its way back to local Farmers’ Markets again. Do you do a little dance when you see the bundles of asparagus at the farmers’ stall as well? Good! I’m glad I’m not the only one who adores this spring vegetable with abandon. How lucky am I that Dixon brings me all the asparagus I could ever want?! I certainly hit the jackpot with that man. Needless to say, I’ve been eating asparagus several times a week, making the most of the time we have together (which will be until the end of June.) I like to trim the ends, discard the tough, woody stems, then I put it in a frying pan with a little water and steam it until it’s tender. I drain the asparagus, rinse it under cool water and toss it on salads like this. The fresh sweetness really shines through, as I eat one spear, and then another. Sometimes I’ll melt a little butter in the same frying pan and add the blanched asparagus. Season with salt and pepper and serve it with fried eggs and hot, buttered toast. Or if I’m feeling particularly gluttonous, I’ll whip up a batch of blender Hollandaise and drizzle it over the steamed asparagus. I eat it with my fingers and sigh heavily with happiness. Asparagus is also lovely roasted, wrapped in bacon, puréed in soup, and grilled on the barbeque. So many options for this verdant vegetable!
