5 Ways to Serve Delicious Asparagus

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Amélie Rousseau, GoLocalPDX Contributor

What’s That Smell? Can You Spare a Guess?

Did you know that asparagus comes in more than just St. Patrick’s green? White asparagus is cultivated all over Europe, and is a specialty in Austria and Germany. They are usually found in jars on this side of the pond, but the process is fascinating.

White asparagus is grown under black plastic or mounded earth, preventing it from producing chlorophyll and rendering it a ghostly pallor. Eat them dunked in lemony hollandaise sauce.

Purple asparagus is this year’s it-girl. With 20 percent more sugar, purple spears are packed with anthocyanins, a powerful antioxidant as well as more vitamin C. The purple color fades under heat though, so serve them raw in salads or pickle them to enjoy all year. A hit of acid will also make the purple pop. If you want to plant your own, Portland Nursery recommends the ‘Sweet Purple’ variety.

Tired of roasting asparagus with rubbery parmesan cheese sprinkled on top? Spear these tips:

1. Purple asparagus salad with tangerine and whipped goat cheese: Shave the spears with a vegetable peeler to make delicate curls. Toss with toasted hazelnuts, tangerine chunks and your favorite oil and vinegar.

2. Roasted Garlic and Asparagus Quiche: Along with the garlic heads, pre-roast the spears with salt and pepper and olive oil until tender. Squeeze out the softened garlic cloves and mix into egg mixture. Lay asparagus spears on top of the quiche in a lattice pattern. Or whatever pattern your heart desires. Bonus points for spelling out your lover’s/kid’s/iguana’s name.

3. Bacon and Date Wrapped Asparagus: A great party appetizer! Food process Medjool dates until they form a paste. Spread a thin line of paste on each spear before wrapping each in a strip of your favorite bacon. Bake until bacon is crispy. Cut into 2-inch long pieces and serve with toothpicks to hold all that sweet and salty goodness together.

4. Parmesan Crusted Asparagus Fries: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Dredge each asparagus spear in flour and then a bowl of beaten egg. Dip spears in a mixture of grated parmesan, salt, panko bread crumbs. Bake 10-15 minutes until golden brown.

5. Asparagus Tempura Sushi Rolls: This is my favorite vegetarian sushi. Make a simple tempura batter by adding ice cold water to flour to make a batter that is slightly thinner than pancake batter. Season batter with salt and a few ice cubes. Tempura batter should be as cold as possible. If you have it, use cold club soda instead of cold water. The bubbles will make the batter as light and puffy as a cumulous cloud. Dredge spears in the batter and fry in oil. Wrap each tempura spear in a riced nori sheet with a generous smear of cream cheese. Roll, slice and dig in.

An urban farmer and master gardener, Amélie Rousseau writes for fellow explorers and eaters of the plant kingdom. It's a jungle out there.

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