Asparagus, Those Nutritious Bundles of Joy

No question about it, asparagus is a strange-looking plant. In many ways it looks like something that George Lucas might have thought up to put in one of his computer-generated outer-space forests. It is botanically related to onions, leeks and garlic, but doesn’t bear much resemblance to them in appearance or flavor.

Asparagus’ reputation in ancient Greek and Roman times as the aristocrat of vegetables came largely from healing properties attributed to it. But even in our age of sometimes unbelievable claims about food, much of that folklore has been discarded. Nonetheless, asparagus is still a good source of vitamins and minerals, and if cooked correctly, it can be one of the tastiest and most versatile vegetables around (even though it is sometimes a little pricey).

Unfortunately, asparagus has a naturally short growing season, and buying it during the winter, fresh from South America, might require a trip to the automated teller. The majority of domestic asparagus is grown in California and shows up in the markets as early as February. Most of the harvest, though, is available in April and May. In other parts of the country, the growing season extends into July.

One way to have asparagus year-round and still take advantage of lower seasonal prices is to buy a large quantity at the end of the season and freeze it. The best way to do this and still preserve the nutritional value and taste is to wash the spears and cut off the white ends. Blanch the spears in boiling water for four minutes, then cool them at once in ice water. Then drain well, pack them together, seal them in plastic bags and freeze.

Although we primarily see green asparagus, it also comes in a white variety that is specially cultivated underground. As the plant grows, dirt is piled on top to block the sunlight. White asparagus (with no chlorophyll) is more fibrous and slightly bitter. You’re more likely to see it in Europe, but you can find it fresh in some specialty shops and canned in most supermarkets.

Once harvested, asparagus needs to be kept cold, and at a store should be refrigerated or in cold water. If you buy it from an outdoor market, make sure that it has been kept out of the sun. Look for firm but tender spears. The tips should be closed and deep green or purplish. The stalks should be straight and mostly green. Avoid spears that are flat or twisted, as they may be tough. Cooks also debate whether bigger is better; some prefer the thin stalks, others go for the thick ones.

When you get asparagus home, keep it cold. This will not only preserve the sweetness but the vitamin C (at room temperature, half the vitamin C will disappear in two days). Asparagus will keep in the crisper for four or five days, but the longer it stays around, the less flavorful it becomes. It helps to wrap the stalks in a damp towel (paper or otherwise) before putting them away.

Asparagus needs to be cooked quickly. If it is overdone, it will be limp, discolored and bitter--the kind of asparagus that gave vegetables a bad name when we were kids. Quick boiling, steaming or microwaving will give the best results. Use a small amount of water and boil for three to five minutes, depending on the thickness. Steaming takes five to eight minutes, and microwaving about five or six minutes. Try adding a little garlic, onion or lemon to the water for a light flavoring. A handy kitchen gadget is a vertical steamer made so that the stalks can stand upright and only the bottom ends are in the water.

Asparagus is so versatile it can be served hot or cold, as a main course, in a salad, in a soup, you name it. It is quite delicious all by itself or with a drizzle of olive oil, toasted bread crumbs or Parmesan cheese. Try making a faux cream sauce by adding lemon juice, a little olive oil and onion to some nonfat yogurt. You can also add cooked spears to pasta for a great low-fat meal. It makes a wonderful cold hors d’oeuvre with a little vinaigrette and roasted red peppers, and it combines well with other vegetables and water chestnuts to make a great Chinese stir-fry.

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Here’s a delicious asparagus dish from our Wellness Low Fat Simply Healthy Cookbook (Rebus, 1995).

ASPARAGUS AND RED PEPPERS

2 large red bell peppers, diced

1/2 cup shredded carrot

1/2 cup peeled, diced cucumber

1/4 cup finely chopped sweet onion (such as Vidalia, Maui or Walla Walla if you can find it)

1/4 cup chicken broth

(vegetarians can substitute vegetable broth)

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon extra-virgin

olive oil

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 pounds asparagus, with bottom ends trimmed

In a medium bowl, combine the bell peppers, carrot, cucumber, onion, broth, 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, the olive oil, vinegar, salt and black pepper. Cover and let stand at room temperature for at least 15 minutes to blend the flavors.

In a large, deep skillet, bring 1 inch of water to boil over high heat. Add the asparagus and return to a boil. Cook until crisp-tender (3 to 4 minutes). Transfer asparagus to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. When cool, lift from the ice water, pat dry and arrange on a platter. Drizzle the asparagus with the remaining 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Then spoon the red pepper and lemon vinaigrette on top.

Makes 6 servings, each of which has 79 calories, 5 grams of fat (less than 1 saturated, depending on the broth), 228 milligrams of sodium, 3.1 grams of beta carotene, 97 milligrams vitamin C, 30 milligrams calcium.

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Dr. Sheldon Margen is a professor of public health at UC Berkeley; Dale A. Ogar is managing editor of the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter. Send questions to Dale Ogar, School of Public Health, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-7360, or by e-mail to daogar@uclink4.berkeley.edu.

Eating Smart runs every Monday.