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Asparagus a treat when cooked right

April 5, 2009 12:35 am

ASPARAGUS, the first vegetable of spring, is also one of the most healthful.

Prepared tenderly, asparagus is a delicacy. But overcooked, like any green vegetable, it can become slimy. Many people who think they hate asparagus actually have never had it properly prepared. Learn ways to relish asparagus, and you can get the full benefit of its vitamins and antioxidants.

The ancient Greeks, Romans and Arabs all wrote about feasting on asparagus and believed it was an aphrodisiac, especially for men, because of its shape. Traditional Indian medicine, or Ayurveda, claims asparagus also helps balance women's hormones.

While asparagus' links to fertility and virility haven't been studied by modern scientists, you could argue that any delicious meal can set a romantic mood.

Ancients and moderns alike agree that asparagus is healthy.

HEALTH POWERHOUSE

A half-cup of steamed asparagus has only 20 calories but supplies more than 50 percent of your daily needs for vitamin K, which is important for healthy blood and strong bones.

It also supplies more than one-third of the daily needs for folate, a B vitamin that helps prevent birth defects and anemia and may affect mood.

Asparagus is also a good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, thiamine and fiber. Plus, it's high in potassium and low in sodium, so it's great for people with high blood pressure.

The first spears of asparagus appear at Virginia farm stands in early to mid-April. Vitamin C is particularly sensitive to storage, so local asparagus, which makes it to your table faster than that trucked from across the country, is better.

If you buy asparagus now, in season, it is affordable. The rest of the year, asparagus can be a luxury item--unless you grow it yourself.

If you enjoy gardening, one of the most famous varieties of asparagus is Mary Washington, named for the Founding Father's mother here in Fredericksburg.

Asparagus is a perennial vegetable, meaning it comes back every year. If you plant it, you harvest some of the first shoots or spears in springtime and allow other spears to grow into a ferny plant. The fern leaves nourish the root, so it can produce more spears each spring.

CHOOSING THE BEST

Pick slender stems of fresh asparagus--they are more likely to be tender. Store them in the refrigerator in a jar of water--like flowers, asparagus spears wilt if they dry out.

When you're ready to cook asparagus, snap off the tough bottoms of the spears with your fingers. And when you cook asparagus, be gentle. Do not boil it until it is droopy and brown (and avoid canned asparagus, which is already overcooked).

Instead, revel in the fact that fresh asparagus needs only a few minutes of steaming--it's one of the quickest vegetables to prepare. Serve it while it is still green and just tender to your fork.

SEASONING ASPARAGUS

Some easy ways to serve asparagus include:

Drizzle asparagus spears with olive oil and roast in 400-degree oven with grated Parmesan cheese for 15 to 20 minutes. Roasting brings out the sweetness in vegetables and can win over picky eaters.

Make macaroni and cheese with asparagus-- this is another kid-friendly recipe. When cooking pasta for macaroni and cheese, add chopped asparagus to the boiling water. Cook and drain pasta and asparagus, then top with cheese sauce.

Steam asparagus and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, vinaigrette salad dressing or fresh lemon juice.

Make an asparagus omelet. Chop asparagus and mix into eggs or egg substitute to make a delicious omelet. Season with garlic and pepper.

Try asparagus with Welsh rarebit sauce. This sauce includes beer, Cheddar, garlic and horseradish. Served over steamed asparagus and accompanied by whole-wheat toast, apple wedges and toasted walnuts, this makes a rich, filling vegetarian meal.

Jennifer Motl welcomes reader questions via her Web site, brighteat ing.com, or mailed to Nutrition, The Free Lance-Star, 616 Amelia St., Fredericksburg, Va. 22401.