asparagus

Asparagus season is here! How do you cook it and what do you drink with it? We like it stir-fried, pureed in cream-of, even steamed. That last is the blandest version , but Mark Bittman’s Hollandaise sauce with a generous pinch of white pepper is great over steamed asparagus.

What to drink with asparagus? Robin Garr suggests Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc, but another fine match is Gewürtztraminer. Tonight we had sauerbraten with steamed asparagus and a spicy ’07 Tarczcal Traminer. Life is good.

But not always. I googled “asparagus fork” and got a bunch of leads to sites displaying precious Victorian silverware. As a child it was a fork-bladed torture device I used to cut asparagus stalks below ground level. We kids were the best at this, already low to the ground and with the most resilient backs.

I once hated asparagus, but now I love it, even though I’m DMS reactant to the point where the guy in the next pissing stall will sniff and glare.

So what are you doing with asparagus these days?

Adore asparagus in many, many ways, but almost always eat them with the fingers - perfectly acceptable and the reason why in-the-know chefs do not put sauce on the bottom tip of the asparagus on your plate.

One interesting argument - the correct plural of asparaus: Options - asparagus, asparaguses, asparagui. Not an option - asparagii (the name of a band but not of the vegetable)

Best
Rogov

First things first- wine. Dry muscat.

I love asparagus ten different ways, but my favorite is probably tossed in olive oil, garlic, and balsamico, then grilled.

my favorite is probably tossed in olive oil, garlic, and balsamico, then grilled.

That is exactly how we had them last night. Delicious. We are getting great asparagus in the desert right now. Michael, one of my other favorite ways to enjoy them is blanched, then dipped into curried mayonnaise.

Incidentally, I was under the impression that there really was no good wine match with either asparagus or artichokes--that they are natural wine "enemies." Have I been misinformed?

Yes, you have. I also hear the same thing about eggs. Yet somehow, I manage to cheerfully find excellent wine matches. Try a dry Muscat from Alsace or a Goldmuskateller/Moscato from Alto Adige with asparagus. Artichokes need something very lean and dry- a Gruener Veltliner Federspiel, a Seyval, a brut sparkler from Trento...

Roasted is my favorite prep.

And the guy in the next stall should be glaring in the mirror. It's been established that everyone gets "asparagus pee" but only some people can smell it.

[Jenise]

Incidentally, I was under the impression that there really was no good wine match with either asparagus or artichokes--that they are natural wine "enemies." Have I been misinformed?

Asparagus loves sauvignon blanc, and I wouldn't limit it to Kiwi. But the greener, grassier ones do better than the ripe, melony ones. South African, some Californians but not all, nearly any SB from the Loire Valley--all good. With artichokes, and I shall be slammed as a heretic but my experience IS my experience, cheap oaky chardonnay, a wine many wouldn't drink anyway, but I'm here to tell you that the wood on those wines loves that earthy flavor in artichokes. Try it some time and see if you don't agree--a $6 Santa Ema from Chile will do.

Love asparagus all ways, but the fave is roasted wrapped in bacon.
Re the 'smelly' aftermath, re Wiki, only 22% of the population have the genes to smell it...LOL is this TMI!

I love asparagus, especially in the spring. I've prepared it many ways, my favorite at this time is tossed with evoo, coarse salt and pepper, then roasted. Upon serving, sprinkle caramelized shallots and fine orange zest over and a few more coarse salt flakes.

[Jenise]

Love asparagus all ways, but the fave is roasted wrapped in bacon.
Re the 'smelly' aftermath, re Wiki, only 22% of the population have the genes to smell it...LOL is this TMI!

Does that mean there are supernoses?

[Jenise]

#1 favorite way to prepare asparagus: cooked, but served at room temperature as a salad course topped with lemon juice (preferably Meyer), condiment-quality EVOO and shaved parmesan cheese.

Thanks to all for serving suggestions. Carrie, do we just sprinkle some garam masala in Trader Joe’s mayo, or is there more involved?

Stuart, another great artichoke wine match is Basque Txakoli.

Stuart, another great artichoke wine match is Basque Txakoli.

I should have thought of that. Dead right.

I make a really good cream of asparagus soup. I have also had really good Chinese stir fried aspargus. You can blanch sections of asparagus and add it to a risotto - especially risotto verde or one with morels.

I drink crisp, white wines that have verve, a slight grassy or hay character, and good intensity. GV, SB, Albarino, Txakoli, Riesling (halb-)trocken or smaragd, and the like.

[David M. Bueker]

I love grilled or roasted asparagus. My prefered pairing is Gruner Veltliner.

I loved late April/early May in Germany with the white asparagus. Whole meals were planned around Spargel season with sometimes just a pound of asparagus on the plate, maybe with Hollandaise or sometimes with Black Forest ham or eggs and ham, or ham and potatoes, etc. I often steam it and use butter/lemon sauce with it. I also like cream of asparagus soup and the risotto idea. Or in a quiche with bacon. In Germany I had it with Riesling. I also approve of Sauvignon Blanc or Gruner Veltliner. Haven't yet tried it with Albarino. (Once had a Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc that smelled and tasted entirely too much like asparagus--I want the wine to pair; not to replicate.)

We like asparagus steamed, roasted and sauteed. My favorite wine to go with is a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc like Kim Crawford.

Asparagus season is here!

Enough of your California talk!

At the offline in NYC on March 15th, we had asparagus wrapped in prosciutto and then fried in a very light batter! I would not have thought of this treatment. It was top notch!

Something I've done is boil the trimmed spears for about three minutes, chill them and serve them with mayo with soy sauce mixed in as a dip.

Jon, thanks for the great seasonal appetizer ideas. We will definitely try out the asparagus-prosciutto tempura this weekend.

[Robin Garr]

Asparagus season is here!

Enough of your California talk!

Believe it or not, our asparagus is popping up in Louisville, where it usually sprouts around Kentucky Derby season (end of April, first of May). Weird! We've also got crocuses and daffodils coming up at the same time, Bradford pears flowering and tree buds greening up in mid-March ... can you spell "chaotic global climate change," boys and girls?

Jon, thanks for the great seasonal appetizer ideas. We will definitely try out the asparagus-prosciutto tempura this weekend.

I think you'll be pleased Michael. Sorry I don't know the cooking details (how long, how hot, etc), but thanks for the note.