Asparagus Extravaganza

Here are six recipes and cooking items for asparagus. Fresh asparagus will be in our stores soon so have some great recipes ready and enjoy this healthy fantastic vegetable while it is available locally.

Asparagus Soup
1 lb fresh asparagus, chopped
¼ C. chopped onion
3 C. chicken broth
¼ - ½ C. milk or light cream
Pepper to taste
In large pot combine broth, onion and asparagus, mix and bring to boil, stirring frequently. Cook until tender then turn off heat. Slowly milk and stir well until at desired consistency. Add pepper to taste.
Shredded cheese can be added during last step for an alternate flavour.


BAKED ASPARAGUS
1 lb asparagus
¾ C. grated parmesan cheese
¼ C. unsalted butter
Blanch or barely cook asparagus then chill under cold running water. Drain and pat dry. Arrange spears in lightly greased 8” square baking dish or casserole dish. Sprinkle with cheese and dot with butter. If preparing ahead of time cover with plastic and refrigerate. Bake at 350o for 15 minutes or until tender crisp.


If you boil your asparagus save the vegetable water for soups or stews. An old recipe I came across used asparagus water with beef drippings (these days use Bovril or oxo cube or liquid) and use as a drink. The vitamins in asparagus make this a great hot drink if you feel a cold coming on. For a cold drink mix with a little V8 or tomato juice.


ASPARAGUS SOUP
6 stems fresh asparagus, sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 stalk celery, sliced thin
1 green or red pepper, chopped
4 cups chicken stock
Salt & pepper to taste
5 sliced bacon cooked crisp and crumbled
In large pot combine asparagus, garlic, celery, green pepper and stock. Bring to a boil then simmer about 10 minutes until vegetables tender. Add salt and pepper to taste. When serving sprinkle with bacon bits.

CHICKEN AND ASPARAGUS
3 tbsp butter 1 tsp lemon juice
3 tbsp flour Salt to taste
1 C. milk 1 lb asparagus
1 C. chicken broth 2 C. cooked chicken, bite sized pieces
½ C. mayonnaise
In medium size pot melt butter then blend in flour, milk and broth stirring until thick and smooth. Remove pot from heat and stir in mayonnaise, lemon juice and salt. In baking dish arrange asparagus spears (or cut into 1” pieces). Spread chicken pieces and pour sauce over top. Bake 375o for 30 minutes or until asparagus cooked.
Canned or frozen (& thawed) asparagus may be used, reduce baking time to 20 minutes.
This is a great recipe to use leftover rotisserie chicken or even turkey.

There are many ways to enjoy asparagus but my neighbour Drew has the simplest way. He takes his asparagus spears and tosses them with olive oil and coarse sea salt then places them on a perforated pizza tray and pops it on the barbecue for 10 minutes until the spears are cooked but firm. I could happily eat buckets of his asparagus. I look forward to the new season and talking about growing and cooking, over a nice plate of Drew’s asparagus of course.

Organic vs. Conventionally Grown Asparagus

According to EWG (Environmental Working Group) asparagus is at the top of the list for produce low in pesticide residue making this a food you can enjoy with abandon even when organically grown is not available in the produce area or farmers markets.

Some say asparagus is a vegetable and others say it is an herb, it is a member of the lily family and an important part of a healthy diet. Egyptians cultivated asparagus over 2,000 years ago it has been woven through history from Europe, the Middle East and to North America. It was revered in rituals and a legend in medicinal circles, and for good healthy reasons.

Asparagus is a wonderful rich source of folate, 6 spears contain about 50% of your daily recommended dose. A natural anti inflammatory, folate helps to decrease pain and has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease. Folate is very important to pregnant women, a lack of folate increases risk of Spina Bifida. Folate also helps regulate embryonic and fetal nerve cell formation and protects the baby from having neural tube defects. It is also believed folate helps prevent premature births.

Folate is known to be important in protecting against cancer, protecting cells from toxins such as free radicals. The National Cancer Institute states asparagus is one of the top foods on their lists for helping the body to fight cancer. Along with containing glutathione- a phyto-chemical, asparagus is high in rutin which is a recognized aid in strengthening blood vessels.

Folate is found naturally in leafy green vegetables, and citrus fruits. Folic acid is a supplement and does not have the fine balance of vitamins and trace minerals found in a whole food. It is always recommended to eat good whole foods for health benefits before supplements.

Asparagus has been listed as the number one source of vitamin K which is necessary in the synthesis of ostocalcin. This is the protein within bone tissue which allows calcium to crystallize. Studies show vitamin K can help prevent osteoporosis and osteoarthritis through this process, aiding in bone formation and repair.

Asparagus is also loaded with potassium (288 mg per cup) which helps the body from losing calcium, vitamin A, B6, and thiamin, glutathione, high in fiber, no sodium or cholesterol or fat. One cup has only 40 calories and 3 grams of fiber essential in cleaning and maintaining a healthy digestive system. A healthy food choice to detox your body. Beta carotene is an additional benefit along with Vitamin C which assists the body in producing collagen. Collagen helps hold together the body’s tissues and cells. This is one food packed with vitamins and minerals helping to treat, among other ailments, urinary tract infections and kidney stones.

For optimum health benefits it is suggested that asparagus be eaten raw but there are many wonderful recipes to entice you to include asparagus in your healthy daily diet.