Asparagus season in Ulster County starts the first week in May, along with the return of the hummingbirds, local fiddlehead ferns and ramps (wild leeks). At my favorite farm stand, the first spears of truly farm-fresh asparagus are strictly for those "in the know" — they're held back until all the California asparagus has been sold, and you don't get the local unless you ask for them. May 1 on my calendar is boldly marked with ASPARAGUS, so this is the weekend I seek out Tony, keeper of the secret stash, for my much anticipated bounty.
Freshly picked asparagus is amazing. It’s dense, has a misty blush and squeaks when you touch it. The flavor is even different — it’s sweeter and, because of the high water content, refreshing. I'm totally obsessed with it and buy five pounds every weekend (and more if there are guests) for the duration of the season. So what do I do with five pounds of asparagus every weekend for only two people?
The first weekend, I give a couple of pounds away to friends, offering it like a spring bouquet (I've even been know to tie a festive bow around it). This weekend, I made the following meals:
· Meal one: For lunch, I grilled two pounds and ate 1 1/2 pounds myself, hot off the grill, simply seasoned with Maldon sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and shavings of Reggiano.
· Meal two: I sautéed a couple of pounds, mixed with the ramps and fiddleheads. This spring medley was served with pasta.
· Meal three: I added the leftover asparagus/ramp/fiddlehead mixture with a little crème fraîche into an omelet.
· Meal four: For Sunday lunch, I made one of my favorite salads which is from The San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market Cookbook. I thinly shave raw asparagus into long thin strips on a mandoline and toss with some olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt and freshly ground pepper, topped with shaved Reggiano.
· Meal five: My last asparagus meal of the weekend, also adapted from the Farmer’s Market cookbook, took care of my Sunday night Chinese food craving. I blanche sliced asparagus until crisp-tender, only about two minutes, shock it under cold running water, dry it on paper towels and then dress it with equal parts soy sauce, Asian sesame oil and a little chili garlic sauce, and then top it with toasted sesame seeds.
Obviously there are fancier preparations for asparagus, but with something this fresh, I like to just give it a gentle nudge and let the true asparagus flavor shine through.
Meanwhile, back at FoodNetwork.com, asparagus was the eighth most requested item on our web site in April (27,675 searches), I'm sure May will be even higher. If you have a hankering for asparagus and are looking for some good recipes, try: