Asparagus - a love story!

Mom out back in the corn field

Growing up, I never cared for asparagus. It was canned and mushy. Then in the fall of 1982, Jorge the kids and I had just arrived to the United States that previous summer. We were living in North Tonawanda and my parents were in Lyndonvills, New York. We made an effort to spend at least one weekend a month or more with them. It was then that I got to learn how to appreciate fresh asparagus. Mom and dad had several acres of property and along the western boundary, they had a crop of asparagus. Asparagus had two growing seasons a year, Spring and Fall. One weekend while visiting, mom took the kids and I out to the crop area and we cut the asparagus stalks, steamed them and eat them with butter. They were delicious. Here are two recipes using asparagus.

Broiled Asparagus:

Asparagus bunch - I buy the thinner bundles as they are more tender.
Olive oil
Mrs. Dash

Rinse the bunch while still in bundle. Snip the bottoms of the asparagus up until you have only the tender part - about an inch unless very thick.  Pat dry. Drizzle a cookie tray with the olive oil lightly. Arrange the asparagus along the tray. Try not to pile them. Drizzle the olive oil again on top and then add some Mrs. Dash. Turn on the broiler to 500* and make sure you raise the oven rack to the highest position. Broil on one side for about 5-7minutres and then turn the asparagus over on the tray and cook another 5 minutes. Make sure they do not burn. Serve immediately.

Pictured is the asparagus crop

Cream of Asparagus Soup:

1 bundle of aspargus - 

1 Cup of Water

Kosher salt

2 Cloves of Garlic

1/2 medium onion sliced

1 cup of cream, Half & Half or Milk

1 tbsp butter or olive oil

4 cups of broth - Vegetable or Chicken - paste, powder or in cans

Salt and Pepper to taste

I either roast the asparagus by broiling it with some olive oil or I cut it up and steam it in the microwave.  Once either roasted or steamed, place into a blender with garlic, onion and cream. Carefully blend on medium and then high. In a soup pot add butter and then pour in liquified asparagus and saute a minute or so. Then add broth and slowly bring to a boil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Asparagus can be stringy. If you notice your soup has strings before adding the thickener, run through a strainer to take out the strings.  This soup tends to need a thickener.  I make a Roux by combining 2 tbsp flour and 1/2 cup water into a plastic container that has a lid. I shake vigorously until smooth. I then stir into soup as it starts to boil. Let cook about 3 minutes on a low boil - make sure it does not burn or stick to the pot. Turn off the soup and let stand or serve.