Asparagus

Size is a personal preference – some say that thick spears are the more tender. You can use a vegetable peeler to peel down the base of thick spears if you’d like. To remove the woody portion at the bottom of the spear, either cut it off with a knife (some say this wastes the least amount of the edible portion of the spear) or hold the tip with one hand, grasp the end of the spear with the other and bend it - the tough base will snap right off (you can use use it in soup stock or just throw it away).

Asparagus can be eaten raw (really! – try it marinated in a homemade vinaigrette), steamed, boiled, stir-fried, roasted, microwaved or grilled. My favorite way to prepare asparagus is to roast them in the oven. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Pour a bit of olive oil onto a baking sheet. Take well washed, trimmed asparagus spears (I prefer the thin ones) and roll them in the oil to coat, then spread them evenly on the pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper on all sides. Roast in a 450-degree oven, shaking pan to turn spears occasionally, until tender and browned in spots – about 8 to 15 minutes depending on thickness of spears. I serve them standing upright in a wide-mouthed tumbler. Absolutely delicious! For variation, you can toss in a clove of finely minced garlic prior to roasting the asparagus or toss the asparagus with reduced balsamic vinegar right when you remove them from the oven. Other great toppers are a squeeze of fresh lemon juice (or a bit of lemon zest), grated parmesan, snipped fresh herbs (tarragon, parsley, chervil, rosemary, etc.) or almost any salad dressing or creamy dip.

Here are some recipes for you to try:

From Deborah Madison’s This Can't Be Tofu here’s a satisfying vegan main-dish recipe for Sautéed Asparagus with Curried Tofu and Tomatoes (serves 3 or 4):

For the tofu:
1 carton firm tofu
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon curry powder
¼ teaspoon turmeric
2 tablespoons, plus 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
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2 teaspoons roasted ground cumin seeds
1 onion, finely diced
½ pound slender asparagus, tough ends trimmed, cut diagonally into 3-inch lengths
Several pinches red pepper flakes
4 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1. Dice the tofu into pieces about the size of a sugar cube. Simmer in 6 cups salted water

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