The Asparagus Dilemma

   It's finally asparagus season, and along with the delectable springtime treat comes the inevitable dilemma of how to select the most tender spears. What it usually boils down to is "What's best? Skinny or fat?" Being a farmer's daughter familiar with the growing habits of asparagus, I thought I'd put in my two cents worth.

   (Please pardon me while I climb up on my culinary soapbox.) Fat asparagus has been greatly maligned. Asparagus grows up, not out. Fat asparagus spears are fat when they emerge from the ground. Skinny ones are skinny when they emerge from the ground. "Skinny" does not equal young and tender, just as "fat" does not equal old and tough. Who'd a thunk it? If freshness is equal, the fat spears are actually going to be more tender than the skinny ones! If you're still not convinced, check out this site that has a wealth of  information about asparagus. Or better yet, try some for yourself.

Here's proof.

Whatever size you choose, look for crisp firm spears. Choose a bunch with spears that are close to the same size so they'll cook uniformly. For the best flavor and nutrient content, cook your fresh asparagus as soon as possible after it is purchased.

And if you like to play with your food, take a closer look at the beautiful Fibonacci spiral pattern the buds make on each spear. I love math. Especially when it's as delicious as asparagus. Speaking of delicious, here's one of my new favorite simple ways to prepare it.

Roast Asparagus Spears
Heat your oven to 425 degrees
Wash asparagus spears in cool water. Break off the tough ends.
Blot your asparagus dry and place in a single layer in a shallow baking dish.
Drizzle with a little olive oil.
Sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
Roast for about 10-15 minutes or until it's as tender as you like it. (I know there are a lot of different opinions about that too, but we'll save that discussion for another day!)
Enjoy your springtime treat!

Shrimp Fried Rice with Asparagus

     Not a totally traditional shrimp fried rice...more of a shrimp fried rice stir fry born from a new goal of mine. I'm trying to use ingredients that I already have in my freezer in an attempt to get a little more control over my grocery spending. Freezer ingredients? 1 pound of raw easy peel shrimp and 1 quart size bag of frozen asparagus pieces. Everything else was in my cupboard or freezer, so I'm happy to say I didn't have to buy anything extra! 

     I usually put frozen peas in my stir fried rice, but with asparagus beginning to come in and several bags of asparagus I froze last season still in my freezer, I thought it would be a delicious (if not traditional) alternative. Use whatever vegetables you have handy. It's a good way to use up the bits and pieces of things you have in your vegetable bin.

Shrimp Fried Rice with Asparagus

Ingredients:

2-3 cups cooked brown rice 

1 Tblsp. peanut or olive oil

dash of sesame oil (optional)

1 lb. raw shrimp (I used frozen "easy peel.")

1 red pepper, diced

5- green onions, sliced (use part of the green along with the white part)

2 carrots, chopped (or a handful of shredded carrots)

1/2 lb. asparagus cut into pieces, (fresh or frozen)

1 clove garlic, chopped

2 Tablespoons Soy sauce

2 Tablespoons Oyster sauce (optional)

2 eggs, beaten

Directions:

• If your shrimp is frozen, thaw under cold running water. Peel.
• Heat the oils in a large nonstick skillet or wok. Stir fry shrimp until cooked through. Remove shrimp from pan and set aside.
• Add carrots, garlic, red pepper and onions to the pan and stir fry until crisp-tender. (4-5 minutes) If you are using fresh asparagus, add it with the rest of the vegetables to stir fry.
• Remove vegetables (or push them aside) and add the eggs to the center of the skillet. Cook eggs until set. Break into small pieces.
• To the eggs add the rice, the vegetables (if you removed them), the soy sauce and the oyster sauce, and mix until the rice is hot.
• Add the reserved shrimp (and semi-thawed asparagus pieces if you're using frozen)
• Stir for a minute or so until everything is heated through.
• Depending on your taste, you may want to add more soy sauce before serving.

Egg-sparagus Wraps

Asparagus is one of those veggies that is best when it's in season locally, and thankfully, it won't be too much longer. Why? Asparagus is delicious any way you make it...roasted, steamed, in soup, with pasta, and now in this scrumptious sandwich.  I was in Sammy T's last week, and this wrap on the specials menu caught my eye. Egg salad, asparagus and bacon... how could I go wrong? It was indeed a wonderful sandwich. Wonderful enough for me to make it for dinner tonight.
This is more of a concept than a true recipe. You'll need egg salad, bacon, asparagus and some sort of flour tortilla or flatbread. (I made this one on a homemade tortilla, but you could use your favorite flatbread.)

Egg-sparagus Wrap
Egg Salad- Use your own recipe or the one below.
Start with perfectly boiled eggs. Boil enough water to cover 6 eggs. When water is boiling, gently lower room temperature eggs into water. Boil for exactly 14 minutes, then remove from heat. Run cold water over eggs until cooled. Peel.
Mash eggs with a fork. Add a  tablespoon of mayonnaise, a teaspoon of yellow mustard, 2 teaspoons of sweet pickle juice and salt and pepper to taste. (Depending on your eggs, you may need to add a bit more mayo or pickle juice.)
Bacon
Fry bacon until crisp. Drain excess fat.
Asparagus
Wash and drain asparagus. Saute in a little olive oil until desired tenderness is reached.

To assemble the wrap, spread about 1/2 cup of egg salad down the center of your flatbread. (Use more if you have a large tortilla.) Top with 2 or 3 slices of bacon and about 6 (or more) asparagus spears. The original sandwich had lettuce as well, so it wouldn't hurt my feelings if you tucked some in. Fold your wrap and enjoy one of the best treats of spring!