fresh Asparagus two ways

Buy produce in season, and you'll not only save money, you'll get more nutrition out of the food. Nutrients dissipate into the air over time. That's why frozen vegetables, usually frozen less than 48 hours after they're picked, are better for you than fresh ones that sat around for weeks, or worse, came from hundreds or thousands of miles away. Out-of-season items are often grown closer to the equator where they get more sun. Then they're picked very green, since they are expected to ripen in transit and storage. They may look ripe by the time we see them in the grocery store, but the nutrients stopped accumulating at the moment they were picked. 

Do yourself a favor and shop at your farmers' market -- you can get 2-for-1 deals if you have an EBT card, and you'll get the most nutrient-dense items available. You'll also support local farmers and smaller businesses. Here in Oregon in mid-April, a great purchase is asparagus. You can grow your own, too! It's a perennial plant, so fresh spears pop up every spring all by themselves. Like magic! (I'm going to plant some one of these days, I swear I am.)

I like to steam asparagus just until it starts to soften, while it's still bright green, then rinse in cold water to stop the cooking. It's most convenient to do this the same day I buy it, then stick it in the fridge for later use. On hot days, it's ready to add to that dinner salad. Or just heat up briefly in the microwave to serve hot. I'll add a simple hollandaise sauce recipe below, an elegant way to finish asparagus, marvelous on eggs, and with a little tarragon, you also have bearnaise sauce to give your steak or any meat an elegant upgrade. 

Do me a favor, please. Try barely-cooked asparagus at least once. Don't cook it until it's mushy and the green is fading to brown. Snap off the tougher bottoms of the spears, but be gentle with the lovely stalks. It's like a mouthful of springtime.

Marinade for asparagus is a snap. Mix equal amounts of soy sauce, sugar, and mild vinegar (I use apple cider vinegar). Slowly whisk in light olive oil (or any vegetable oil) until you get the flavor and consistency you like. I generally start with two tablespoons of the first three ingredients and add 1/4 cup oil. If you do this by hand, you'll have a vinaigrette-type dressing. If you make it in a blender, it'll be thicker and slower to separate. I like to add a splash of sesame oil and garnish with sesame seeds. You can assemble this ahead of time and let the asparagus marinate to pick up extra flavor, or you can drizzle it on last minute. Either way it's delicious. It's more interesting, has more flavor and fewer calories than a mayonnaise sauce. And a super bonus -- this dressing is great on spinach salad! Try spinach, crisp bacon, mandarin orange segments, and roasted cashews. Amazing!

You don't need to stop there. How about grilling your asparagus? If it's already blanched (barely cooked), just a couple minutes on the grill, under the broiler, or even in a lightly greased skillet on high heat will add some color and smoky flavor. Or get creative with your marinade. Fresh minced ginger is awesome in there. Fresh cracked black pepper adds a nice kick. 

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Hollandaise sauce is traditionally made in a double boiler or over a bain marie (that's French for a pot of hot water). You whisk melted butter into the egg yolk mixture, counting on the warmth from the water to cook the yolks, thickening the sauce. Lovely, but it's easy to get too hot and have your sauce curdle. Try this simple blender method instead. Our family used to make eggs benedict for our whole church on Easter morning, so we got really good at making this sauce! Here's a scaled-down recipe for a small family:

3 egg yolks
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp. dijon mustard
dash of cayenne pepper
1 cup (2 sticks) butter

Put the yolks, lemon, dijon, ​and pepper in a blender. Pulse just until combined. Melt the butter and continue heating until it boils. Turn the blender on low speed. Slowly drizzle in the boiling butter. If sauce gets too thick, add water, a teaspoon at a time. Stop adding butter if sauce gets thick like mayonnaise -- that means the eggs are overcooking.

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​Gorgeous, isn't it? That's not my photo, though, it's from the blog over at Primal Kitchen. I'll replace it when I actually pick up some asparagus of my own.