Surfing the Great Asparagus Tide

With asparagus as plentiful as it is right now, there are a few things that are helpful to know about buying and cooking it.

First, asparagus comes in three colors: white, purple and green.

White asparagus is cultivated in mulch. Because they are always from mature root stock, the spears are very thick. And because the spears are cut soon after they emerge into sunlight, they are squat. They are also very woody and always require peeling.

Because the plant uses its sugar store to develop its outer woody surface, white asparagus can be a tad bitter, but in an agreeable way. And because it’s not grown in sunlight, it lacks the chlorophyll flavor that the green variety has, also contributing to the bitter taste.

Cook white asparagus in boiling salted water 8 to 10 minutes or until completely tender. White asparagus is sturdier than the others and that point of cooking perfection between crisp and overcooked is more forgiving. To me, the texture of white asparagus is as robust as that of a piece of meat.

Purple asparagus is white asparagus that is left to grow a bit taller in the light, but not long enough for the chlorophyll to turn the stalks green. It lacks both the charming bitter edge of white and the sweetness of green. It, too, requires peeling but is generally less thick than white.

Green asparagus is, in my opinion, the best. It has a nice balance between sweetness and bitterness and has a strong flavor.

Pencil-thin stalks of asparagus are tender and don’t require peeling or preliminary blanching. They also have little flavor and are nice to throw into vegetable ragouts or to garnish fish, poultry and white meats. They’re good cut up and stir-fried. They’re cute but not serious. What else can you say? Simply trim the bottom inch of the stalk and blanch 1 1/2 to 2 minutes in salted boiling water.

Medium stalks are sweet, but don’t have what I describe as a strong essence-of-asparagus flavor, that flavor between the astringency of an artichoke and the sulfuric odor of overcooked broccoli. The peel is not unpleasantly stringy, but peeling removes any bitterness and results in sweeter, fresher-tasting stalks.

The best way of knowing where to trim is to snap each stalk individually. The stalk should snap at the point where it becomes tender. If you’re not inclined to snap each one, then do 3 or 4. Assume that all the stalks are about the same degree of woodiness and trim the rest of the stalks with a knife. Boil in copious amounts of salted water 5 to 7 minutes.

Jumbo green asparagus are the best of all, the king of vegetables. Their store of sugar has been used to develop the stringy, not woody, outer skin, and its green chlorophyll flavor has developed. The texture is tender yet meaty.

Cook jumbo asparagus until tender but not mushy, about 8 to 10 minutes. Here you need to be more accurate than when cooking white asparagus. You want tender spears, neither crisp nor mushy.

In order to avoid overcooking the tender asparagus tips, some people tie asparagus into bundles and stand them in water in specially designed asparagus cookers. I find that it’s more important to cook asparagus in a larger quantity of water than is possible using an asparagus cooker. If carefully handled, the tips shouldn’t get damaged, even when submerged in a large pot.

I prefer eating my asparagus simply with a little lemon and butter or with a drizzle of mustardy vinaigrette. Use the jumbo variety to make a wonderful soup.

Here’s where the rule “freshest is best” doesn’t apply. I prefer to use asparagus that is a bit old, that has been in the market a bit too long, to make soup. It has a stronger flavor.

I’ve even developed a way of cooking asparagus that nearly reminds me of the canned variety that hooked me as a child. Actually, it’s a lot better. Place the asparagus in a skillet with some water and salt and cook it until the water is nearly evaporated. Whisk in a nut of butter and serve the asparagus in its own juices.

ASPARAGUS ON FRESH CROUTONS

1 pound medium or large asparagus

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon butter

12 thin rounds French-style baguette

Peel asparagus spears and cut off and discard bottom inch.

Combine salt and water in nonreactive skillet. Cover and place over high heat. Bring to boil. Add asparagus and cook, gently shaking pan, until water is reduced to about 3 tablespoons, about 5 minutes. Stir in butter.

Arrange sliced bread on serving platter. Arrange asparagus on bread. Pour liquid over top and serve immediately.

4 servings. Each serving:

152 calories; 824 mg sodium; 9 mg cholesterol; 4 grams fat; 24 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams protein; 1.01 grams fiber.

ASPARAGUS WITH BALSAMIC BUTTER

1 pound medium or large asparagus

2 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons finely minced shallots or onions

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Peel and trim asparagus. Place in pan of boiling salted water and boil until tender, 7 to 10 minutes, depending on size of asparagus. Immediately remove from water and plunge into ice water bath until chilled. Drain.

Combine butter, shallots and asparagus in medium nonreactive saucepan and cook over medium heat, tossing spears until hot, about 5 minutes. Transfer asparagus to serving platter. Mix vinegar with butter in pan and pour over asparagus. Serve immediately.

4 servings. Each serving:

86 calories; 62 mg sodium; 16 mg cholesterol; 6 grams fat; 6 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams protein; 0.99 gram fiber.

PUREED ASPARAGUS SOUP

1 pound jumbo asparagus

1 tablespoon butter

1 small onion, coarsely chopped (about 3/4 cup)

1 tablespoon flour

2 cups water or low-sodium chicken broth

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

1/8 teaspoon mace

1/4 cup whipping cream

Cut off asparagus tips, finely chop and set aside on plate. Peel stalks and cut into 1-inch chunks and set aside.

Melt butter in medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion and saute, stirring, until soft and translucent, about 7 minutes. Stir in flour and add water. Cover and bring to boil. Add asparagus stalks, salt, pepper and mace. Lower heat and simmer 15 minutes.

Transfer soup to food processor or blender and puree. Return mixture to pan over low heat. Stir in cream and reserved chopped asparagus tips. Cover and reheat 5 minutes before serving.

4 servings. Each serving:

130 calories; 889 mg sodium; 28 mg cholesterol; 9 grams fat; 9 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 1.13 grams fiber.

TARTE AUX ASPERGES

This tart is similar to a quiche, overladen with asparagus and bound with only enough custard to hold everything together. Serve this as a luncheon or light dinner course.

1 cup flour

5 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into pieces

Salt

3 to 4 tablespoons ice water

2 eggs

1/2 cup half and half

1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese

1/2 pound jumbo asparagus, peeled and sliced into thin rounds

Place flour and 4 tablespoons butter in food processor and pulse until grainy meal forms. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and water and pulse until mixture begins to form ball. Remove dough from processor, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes.

Beat eggs. Stir in half and half, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, nutmeg and cheese. Set aside.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon butter in 9-inch saucepan over medium heat. Add asparagus and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Stir asparagus into egg mixture.

Remove pastry from refrigerator and roll out on lightly floured surface into 9-inch circle. Line 8-inch pie pan with dough and place in freezer 10 minutes. Remove from freezer and pour in asparagus mixture.

Bake at 375 degrees until custard is set, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes before serving.

4 main-course or 8 first-course servings. Each main-course serving:

379 calories; 386 mg sodium; 171 mg cholesterol; 25 grams fat; 26 grams carbohydrates; 13 grams protein; 0.56 gram fiber.