Celebrate Asparagus!

The Gardeners Club of Green Bay will be sponsoring “Celebrate Asparagus! on Saturday, April 24, 2010 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Brown County UW-Extension Office, 1150 Bellevue Street, Green Bay. I will be giving a presentation on asparagus at this event as well as preparing some recipes using this tasty vegetable. Please see flyer below, for more information on this event.

Interesting Facts about Asparagus – Did You Know…

• Sometimes referred to as the aristocrat of vegetables, asparagus has been prized since the days of the ancient Greeks and Romans, who not only appreciated its taste but also believed it possessed medicinal properties.
• Asparagus is a member of the lily family and is related to onions, leeks, and garlic.
• A well cared for asparagus planting will generally produce for 15 years without being replanted.
• Two basic types of asparagus, white and green are cultivated.
• Asparagus does contain a good supply of vitamins and minerals including folic acid, potassium, fiber, vitamins A and C and thiamin.

Keep fresh asparagus cold to preserve its tenderness and as much of its natural sweetness and vitamin C content as possible. Wrap stalk bottoms in a damp paper towel and store in the refrigerator crisper. It is best to eat asparagus the day it is purchased or cut from the garden.

Asparagus can be roasted, boiled, steamed, microwaved or added to stir-fry. One of the items I will prepare during my presentation is roasted asparagus.

Roasted Asparagus

1 lb. asparagus
1 Tbs. olive oil
salt and pepper

Place rack in center of your over and preheat to 350F. While the oven is warming up, wash the asparagus to remove any dirt particles that may be lodged in the tips or stuck to the stalks. Snap off the bottoms of the asparagus stalks. The bottom of the stalk is fibrous and not very pleasant to eat, so just grab the bottom and bend until it snaps.

Pour 1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil per pound of asparagus onto a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil (for easy clean up – saving time).

Using your hands, roll the asparagus through the oil and rub them against each other until the oil coats them all. Spread the asparagus out in the sheet pan to form a single layer. Apply freshly ground black pepper and salt to the oiled asparagus.

Place the asparagus laden sheet pan into the oven and allow it to roast for 10 to 15 minutes

Roasting asparagus until it just changes color from a medium green to a dark green will result in tender but still somewhat crisp texture.

Asparagus Flyer: