Thanks for everyone’s patience, I tallied the votes and asparagus was the winner for our May 2017 dish of the month.
Let’s dive into spring!
2 Likes
Ah, I see that you are subtly (or, not so subtly) suggesting that we pair asparagus with fish.
I’ll pick some up . It’s kind of pricey around $3.60 a pound . My favorite way is to take and peel off the lower part of the stalk using a veg peeler . Steam , spritz with lemon . Using my hands to eat them ,dipping into mayonnaise . Boring but delicious .
4 Likes
It’s a bounty. Use what you like. 
I’m a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon person, myself.
Though anchovy aioli (mayonnaise) with the nice deep-yellow/orange yolks that eggs have this time of year is really good.
1 Like
Oh , the anchovy . My kryptonite .
2 Likes
Gee, it’s super cheap around here - more like a dollar a pound. We’ve been eating a lot of it - asparagus soup, minestrone with asparagus, fish stew with asparagus, roasted with olive oil garlic and topped with parmesan, pan roasted and topped with fried eggs, roasted with dill and salmon.
1 Like
I’m so jealous it hurts. Best price i can find is close to $4/lb. which is almost two servings for me!
I love asparagus. I have a few favourite ways of using it.
Served with poached salmon, new potatoes and Hollandaise sauce just says spring/early summer to me.
Pea and asparagus risotto. Add the peas and asparagus at the end but put the ends of the asparagus in the stock while it’s being added to the risotto. Also I add creme fraiche at the end rather than cheese and butter to keep it light.
I also like it with a sauce made by mixing soft goats cheese, olive oil and lemon use and quite a lot of black pepper. Use for penne or fusilli pasta. A quick and tasty meal.
Best of all though is to blanch spears of asparagus. Then wrap the spears in Parma ham. Quickly fry the wrapped spears to crisp up the ham. Then dip the spears in a soft boiled egg.
2 Likes
This recipe of asparagus, haricot vert, and zucchini pasta is pretty nice with all that fragrance from the tarragon/ basil and pine nuts.
GRILLED JUMBO ASPARAGUS WITH GRIBACHE & BOTTARGA, Gjelina, page 176.
I didn’t have jumbo asparagus, so I used medium-sized asparagus. This was very nice, there’s a fried bread crumb sprinkle included in addition to the gribache and bottarga. I think this is a fairly classic way to serve asparagus. Everyone liked it.
9 Likes
Not homemade, but a few weeks ago when we were in Germany white asparagus soup was everywhere. Both of these pictured (note, it’s not easy to make white soup in white bowls look interesting) were a thin flavorful light cream soup with a lot of asparagus tips in the bottom. One had a touch of riesling which brought a nice brightness.
4 Likes
I like asparagus soup, I don’t make it often though. It’s a pity to mix the shoots in soup than to eat them entirely. It’s a more interesting choice only if they are fibrous.
We had our first asparagus of the year this week. I did a quick stir-fry with some chiles and soy sauce – one of my favorite simple preparations!
Lovely.
Simple steamed asparagus with a cream and cheese sauce. Crisp-fried Tyrolean Speck for a meaty taste. You can omit the Speck/smoked pork belly. I almost never eat asparagus with a thick sauce. The partner likes the sauce, probably because of the cheese.
Wanted to make a risotto but found no risotto rice in the cupboard, only Spanish and Japanese rices. Orzo (or pearl couscous even) is a good alternative.
Add cream and grated cheese to the orzo shortly before it’s cooked, stirring constantly. Now add blanched broad beans and crisp-fried Speck, mix well and let it warm through. Steamed asparagus and more cheese.
Btw, I have posted many asparagus meals on the lunch thread(s). Check it out sometimes for ideas, if you want to. Thing is, it’s rarely green asparagus. “White asparagus” has a delicate taste and is best enjoyed as simply as possible, whereas green asparagus can pair with bolder ingredients.
Don’t forget you can put asparagus on top of things and cook in the oven. My Flammkuchen is an example.
And why not in a Frittata?
5 Likes
Asparagus, goat cheese, and ham pizza, with chili flakes.
I had leftover steamed asparagus, so I went to my local pizza place and ordered a pizza with sauce, no cheese, then took it home and topped it with my asparagus and other bits and pieces from the refrigerator. A quick warm up in the oven and my pizza was done, and precisely to my liking.
8 Likes
Nothing fancy
Asparagus and eggs one of my favorite all time combinations
over easy on top of asparagus, red pepper, garlic, s&p . Steamed then
a quick sauté in olive oil. A sprinkle of a cheddar aged almost to funk
9 Likes
Beautiful. Really a simple, classic combination.
1 Like
Oh. MY. I need to do this later this week!
