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FrontRangeLiving.com -> Cooking -> Asparagus
 ASPARAGUS:
A Classy Perennial
Brighton farmer Steve Brancucci watched in horror as a blizzard struck his
farm in April. The Denver International Airport shut down. Traffic snarled every
highway. Schools closed. Steve’s asparagus plants were sprouting and ready
to be picked.
A blizzard means at least one picking is lost. "Typically, we harvest a
week before or after Easter, usually we’ll monitor the asparagus because the
ground temperature needs to be about 50 degrees before they will move," he
says. Asparagus is a perennial vegetable that takes three years to develop for
large spears but the plants may last 20 years. Even so, it's always a risky crop
in Colorado because of our unpredictable spring snows.
Steve says his father encouraged him to grow asparagus when many of the Front Range asparagus farmers were selling their land to housing
developments. "He could see a need that could be filled," Steve says, and now, with 70 acres, Golden West Farms is the second largest asparagus
farm in Colorado.
Despite the occasional blizzards, asparagus can be a lucrative and
organically grown crop in Colorado. There are few pests and the
long, cool spring temperatures are exactly what asparagus loves. When the season
begins to heat up by the end of June, the plants will become stressed and stop
producing. That means that Steve can harvest from April through the middle
of June.
You’ll find asparagus that has reverted to a wild perennial in the
irrigation ditches of Colorado. Their deep roots acclimate along the rivulet’s
edge and take hold—much as they have for centuries dating to ancient Rome,
Greece and Egypt.
A VERSATILE VEGETABLE FOR ANY CHEF
Asparagus is versatile and easy to both prepare and cook. A quick method is
to sauté it for a minute on the stove top and finish it in a hot oven. For one
bunch of asparagus, add about a teaspoon of oil in a hot skillet. Sprinkle with
salt and pepper, then place the skillet in a 400 or 450-degree oven.
Colorado asparagus can be cut and in the stores within 24 hours. When you get
the spears home, trim the bottoms slightly and place them in a plastic bag with
a little water. They should receive the care of cut flowers, since they are
flowering stalks. Fatter stalks with tightly closed buds are the premium of the
crop.
To prepare asparagus for cooking, wash the spears, trim the ends and peel the
stalk from florets to end. Pencil thin spears usually are not peeled. Asparagus
is a vegetable that can take spicy and pungent sauces.
SESAME ASPARAGUS
Here’s an Asian sauce that is a simple dressing for roasted or steamed
asparagus.
One pound of fresh asparagus, roasted or steamed
Sauce:
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons mild or hot curry paste
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, which have been toasted briefly in
a hot skillet. Always keep the pan moving on the stove for this to avoid
burning these delicate seeds.
Mix sauce ingredients together, drizzle lightly over asparagus. The sauce is
best used sparingly. This can be a side dish, warm salad or appetizer.
ASPARAGUS,
LEEK AND POTATO SOUP
Prepare in a heavy 4-quart saucepan:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 chopped leeks, white parts only
- 1 clove garlic, left whole
- 3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 quart water
- ½ pound asparagus, ends trimmed and peeled
- Salt and pepper to taste
Sauté leeks and garlic in the olive oil on medium to low heat. Allow the
leeks to wilt entirely and begin to caramelize a bit. Add the potatoes and
water. Bring to a boil. Cut the asparagus tips off and reserve about six. Blanch
the asparagus separately and puree in a blender with one cup of the soup stock.
Add the asparagus puree to the soup. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove the
garlic clove. Garnish with the blanched asparagus tips. Serves four.
ASPARAGUS AND WARM PASTA SALAD
- ½ pound fresh asparagus
- 1 pound penne noodles
- 1 tablespoon fresh garlic
- 1 chopped shallot, diced
- 2 tablespoons capers
- 5 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 4 tablespoons chopped basil
- 1 roasted red pepper sliced
- 1 cup fresh cherry tomatoes, sliced
- 1 tablespoons of orange zest
- Olive oil to taste
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice to taste
Bring about four quarts of water to boil in a stockpot. Salt the water with 1
tablespoon of salt. When the water is boiling furiously, toss in the penne
noodles.
In a large sauté pan, heat the oil. Add the garlic and minced shallots;
allow to sweat without turning brown. Add the olives, capers, oregano and white
wine. Allow to cook until reduced by half. Then add the asparagus. Cook until
almost al dente. Add the tomatoes. Cook until the asparagus is still crisp, but
chewy. Drain the pasta and mix with the vegetables. Add olive oil, lemon juice,
salt and pepper to taste. The salad should stay warm for serving. Serves four
ROASTED
ASPARAGUS AND BUTTERNUT SQUASH PASTA
Pair one of the first and last crops of the season. Winter-held butternut
squash is the perfect foil for asparagus.
- 10 spears of asparagus, peeled with the ends trimmed.
- 1 butternut squash, peeled and seeded, cut into pieces about
the size of marbles.
- 1 medium yellow onion peeled and cut into pieces the same size
as the squash.
- 5 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 pound of pasta, penne works well
- Parmesan cheese slivers
- Salt and pepper to taste.
Coat the butternut squash and onion pieces with the oil. Salt and pepper to
taste. Roast in a 400-degree oven for 20 minutes. Add the asparagus, toss it
with the squash and onions to coat in the oil and continue roasting for 10
minutes, or until all are tender. Bring enough water to boil the pasta and add 1
tablespoon of salt. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Toss with
the hot vegetables and add Parmesan cheese slivers. Serves four.
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