Easy
   Gourmet Dinners

Even asparagus differs from country to country.

In Andorra we occasionally had green asparagus from Israel, which seemed to be preferred by the large British expat community.  It was an expensive and rare treat.

The Spanish tend to love the big , fat, white asparagus, an inch or more thick, preferably that have been canned (bottled) and served with lots and lots of mayonnaise (made with lots and lots of garlic). We actually bought a tin of white asparagus in Spain that made our Spanish teacher blush when we asked her to translate - it was similar to "Big Balls Asparagus"  (That may be the white-washed translation....)  They were an inch and a half thick and absolutely marvelous.

Here in France we see some of the big, whites - sold by the stalk but you had better be early and prepared to get an elbow in the ribs from the sweet, elderly lady in the blue house-dress.

My preference, however, has become the violet asparagus.  They are slim, white asparagus with a purple tip.  They cook faster and are not as tough as the white but not as tender as the green which we rarely, if ever, see.  The price for the violet starts as 9 euro a kilo ($11) at the beginning of the season and goes down to 2 euro at the peak. We have usually had our fill by the time it goes back up to 9 at season end.

     To store asparagus: 

Slice off the dried ends, enough to give a fresh 'cut', stand upright in a small bowl or large glass of with an inch or two of water in the bottom and refrigerate.  Will keep for several days.

     To prepare Asparagus:

Snap off ends of asparagus by holding the very end of the stalk and bending carefully until it snaps off.  For white use a vegetable peeler and peel the bottom half of the stalk.  It is not necessary to peel green asparagus, regardless of size.  Violet will need to be peeled if it is bigger than 1/2 inch (1.25 cm). 

To cook on top of the stove:  Put spears into a skillet big enough to hold them without cutting, add water to cover bottom by 1/4 inch, cover and bring to boil.  Lower heat and cook just until done, 10 - 15 minutes, longer for white, adding a bit of water as needed. 

To bake/roast:  Put a drizzle of oil on a baking sheet - one with a lip all around.  I use a pizza pan.  Roll the asparagus in oil (use your fingers!).  Put in the oven at 400F (200C), tips facing the oven door.  Bake for 15 - 25 minutes, depending on size.  White will take the longest. 

To cook on barbecue grill:  Rub with olive oil.  Either cook directly on barbecue grill (being careful not to let any slip through, or on a mesh pan.  Turn frequently.  Should be done in 7 - 15 minutes depending on size and heat.  They will start to brown slightly but that's okay - adds flavor and crunch.

To sauté: Put 1 tbs butter in a large nonstick skillet.  Add asparagus and sauté over medium heat until starting to brown and done, 8 - 12 minutes, depending on size.

Cooking Asparagus
     For recipes see Vegetables; Asparagus