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ASPARAGUS


Asparagus is the aristocrat of the vegetable kingdom. A member of thelily family, it is believed to have originated in Asia Minor. The ancientGreeks and Romans prized it highly as both a food and as a medicine.

The arrival of fresh asparagus used to be the first herald of spring. Itmade its annual debut late in February and bowed out of season in mid-July.Today, thanks to improved agricultural know-how, modern refrigeration, andespecially the speed of the cargo jet, this former rite of spring has beenextended to cover all four seasons and is now available year-round. In Januarywe get asparagus from Mexico, Chile, and New Zealand. In February the Californiacrop comes on line and is available until July, at which time we get asparagusfrom Washington and Michigan. Late in September we get a second crop fromMexico. In October, November, and December we again fly in asparagus fromChile and New Zealand.

California is by far our best and largest source of "grass" (amarket term for asparagus long before it became popular in reference tomarijuana). California is also a major exporter of asparagus, via jet, toEurope. The California season reaches peak in mid-April and, weather permitting,it is sustained until the end of June, at which time Washington State andMichigan take up the slack.

Fresh asparagus is also produced on a more limited scale in Oregon, Pennsylvania,and New Jersey, but these crops are mostly sold locally. Not too long agoNew Jersey was a major source of supply. However, in recent years theirtonnage has significantly decreased due to their crops being ravaged bya plant disease known as fusarium root rot.

When shopping for asparagus, look for the two hallmarks that identify quality:the condition of the tips and the color of the spears. Perfect asparaguswill have tips that are dry, tight, firm, and purplish in hue, and cometo a point. If the tips are feathery, open, and soft, or have gone to seed,that asparagus is past its prime but still usable. However, if the tipsare wet or slimy, they are on the verge of, or have started to, decay andshould be avoided. Aged or decayed asparagus emits a most unpleasant odor.If you have any doubts about its freshness, your nose is your best guide.

There are some white (actually oyster-colored) varieties of asparagus.They have a stronger, more earthy, taste than the green types. While thiswhite asparagus is highly prized in Europe, it is seldom sold in the UnitedStates. We prefer the more tender green varieties.

When purchasing asparagus, the price tag is not a true barometer of itsvalue. In the green varieties, the greener the spear, the better the qualityand the greater the yield. Even in all-green asparagus, at least 15 percentto 20 percent of the spear is too woody and chewy to be palatable. In spearsthat are half white and half green, the bottom 70 percent of the spear isinedible. Spears that are green only near the tip can have as much as 90percent waste. Therefore, all-green asparagus is always a better buy thanasparagus that is less green selling for half the price. Since asparagusis usually quite costly, the prudent shopper should always check out thecolor of the spears as well as the condition of the tips prior to makinga purchase.

The presence of sand or loam in fresh asparagus can be a gritty problem.When sand gets lodged in the tips, no amount of rinsing with water willtotally remove it. If there is any trace of sand in the asparagus you findin your market, pick up a bunch of broccoli in its stead. Asparagus fromNew Jersey is more likely to have sand than asparagus from other areas.California asparagus rarely has this problem.

Asparagus spears can be either pencil thin or as thick as your thumb. Inasparagus of comparable quality (condition of the tips and color of thespears), the thickness has little bearing on the quality. However, as arule, the thicker the spear, the higher the price. The haute cuisine eaterieswill pay premium prices for the thickest asparagus, yet in Italian neighborhoodsmerchants can't give thick asparagus away. There, the very thinnest spears(in the trade they are called spaghetti) are most highly prized. A traditionalNeapolitan recipe calls for frying very thin asparagus with eggs.

Until about twenty years ago, all the asparagus that came to market wascarefully graded by thickness and packaged in 23/4 pound bunches. In orderof decreasing thickness, the spears were graded as colossal, extra select,select, extra fancy, fancy, and standard. Today asparagus comes looselypacked in fifteen- or thirty-pound boxes. It is no longer bunched or accuratelygraded by size or thickness. When you purchase asparagus, try to selectspears that are uniform in thickness. If there is too great a range in size,the thinner spears will be overcooked by the time the thicker ones are justtender.

To get the most mileage out of asparagus, here is an old wives' tale thatreally works: Never cut the spears with a knife. Snap them as you woulda twig or a pencil. This is easily accomplished because fresh asparagusis quite brittle. Magically, where the spear snaps is the dividing pointbetween the tender and tough portions. When you use this method your endproduct may not be uniform in length, but it will be uniform in textureand tenderness and you won't be discarding any edible asparagus. If theasparagus is fresh, there is no need to peel or pare it with a knife. Aswith fresh mushrooms, peeling the spears is not only a waste of time butalso a waste of asparagus.

WHEN TO BUY: Available year-round; At peak: March to July
WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Dry, tight, firm, purplish tips that come to a point andvegetables have a fresh odor
HOW TO STORE: Refrigerate immediately after purchase

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