Veggie Might Steamed Asparagus Dont Gild The Lily Shoots

Penned by the effervescent Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about the wide world of Vegetarianism. She says: Please delight in these darling lambs from Avillion Farm and my favorite asparagus "recipe" from an April 2009 visit to NC. Veggie Might will return with reshing new content next Thursday.

Sometimes vegetables should just be left alone.

This past weekend, I spent three glorious days in the North Carolina sunshine with my best friend, A., and her husband and two-year-old. It was little C’s birthday, and I just couldn’t resist a circus-themed party.

Friday night before the big event, A. and I were fixing dinner: something light and fast before the hotdogs, cupcakes, and apple juice to come. A is the manager of the local farmer’s market in her area. One of the perks is first dibs on fresh produce while the farmers set up their stalls.

From her fridge, she pulled out a bundle of perfect, young asparagus stalks: the first of the season and the sweetest I’d ever tasted. We ate the thinnest stalks raw as we washed and snapped off the ends of the rest.

C toddled up and A. gave him a stalk. He took the asparagus and munched gleefully. I’ve never seen a kid eat vegetables like that. (I’ve also never typed the word “gleefully” before, but hey.)

“Sautee or steam?” A. asked.

“Steam,” I replied. It seemed like gilding the lily to put those perfect stems of green spring goodness in oil or butter. Turns out asparagus is a member of the lily family. Who knew? (Well, the people at that link and Mark Bittman.)

As you know, I’m a big fan of sautéing vegetables in garlic. How many recipes have I shared with that step? But even I know when to leave well enough alone.

A. seemed to know just how long to cook the asparagus, but I would have had to get help. I don’t trust myself for two reasons; I get impatient, and I get distracted.

I have no patience for standing over a pot of boiling water, even for a few minutes. After a minute has past, you can guarantee I will have wondered off like a two-year-old to see what else is going on, and then the veggies will have overcooked.

According to Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, asparagus should be boiled in a skillet or steamed in a pan with just a bit of water at the bottom “just until the thick part of the stalk can be pierced with a knife.” Well, just how long is that? It depends on how much you’re cooking, of course. In our case, a bunch of about 20 stalks took 3 minutes to steam. A set a timer which let us wander guilt-free.

They were perfect: tender, slightly crunchy, vibrantly green. I know that, classically, asparagus is served with hollandaise or mayonnaise, but I’ve never understood why. Who thought to drench something so light and delicious with such heavy sauces?

We didn’t even think to salt our Carolina-grown spring bounty. If A. salted the water, I didn’t notice.

Our supper of fresh-from-the-farm veggies was one of the easiest and best meals I’ve eaten in a while. It reminded me that, sometimes, it’s best to let food be itself.

Steamed Asparagus
Serves 3 – 4

20 asparagus stalks
1/2 cup of water

1) Wash asparagus and break off woody ends.

2) Put water in sauce pan. Put asparagus in steamer basket or bamboo steamer and place over sauce pan. (You can also use the Mark Bittman methods above.)

3) Bring water to boil.

4) Steam for approximately 3 minutes or until thick ends of stalks are tender.

5) Dress as desired or eat plain. Plain is good. Really good.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price* per Serving
Four servings: 15 calories, .1g fat, $.37
Three servings: 20 calories, .13g fat, $.50

Calculations
Asparagus: 60 calories, .4g fat, $1.50
TOTAL: 60 calories, .4g fat, $1.50
PER SERVING (TOTAL/4): 15 calories, .1g fat, $.37
PER SERVING (TOTAL/3): 20 calories, .13g fat, $.50

*Price is from my local market.

Veggie Might Roasted Asparagus and Chickpeas – Not So Risky Business

Written by the fabulous Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about all things Vegetarian.

Hee! It’s April 8, and I swear I’m still a vegetarian. Now that we’re back to reality, let’s get right to the vegetables.

As Kris pointed out on Monday, it’s springtime for asparagus (and baseball). There is nothing else I want to eat right now (or watch on TV). Luckily, both are easily had.

Normally, I don’t mess much with asparagus. It’s so delicate and flavorful, I just give it a quick blanch or steam and leave it at that. This week, though, I had people over for supper, and I wanted to try something new…with them sitting in the living room waiting to be fed.

Remembering this great post on roasting broccoli over at Feast, ReadyMade’s new food blog, I envisioned serving a salad with roasted asparagus and chickpeas. Of course, sometimes what I picture in my mind doesn’t always translate to the plate.

My meal plan wasn’t that risky. Roasting is kind of foolproof: hot oven + oiled up veggies × 15–20 minutes = time to eat. The X factor was the cup and a half of cooked chickpeas I tossed onto the baking sheet with the asparagus at the last second. Who knew what would happen?!

I whipped up a green salad and a grapefruit/ginger vinaigrette based on this dressing (I skipped the zest and used a whole grapefruit, saving beaucoup time), while the oven worked its magic.

With the ding of the oven timer, everything was ready, and it all came together brilliantly. Including prep, the whole meal took about 40 minutes to prepare, making for a perfect weeknight dinner or quick weekend lunch.

The asparagus was perfectly cooked and the chickpeas were just a touch caramelized and almost chewy—a success. Combined with the salad and garlic toast, we had the ideal, light, spring meal. The asparagus/chickpea combo would also make a terrific side dish.

Both my Charming Dinner Guest and C from Beantown were delighted with the results of my hardly-what-you’d-call labor, and so was I. The salad on the plate was precisely the salad from my vision.

I think we can all learn a lesson from my little tale: risk + asparagus = reward.

~~~
If you dig this recipe, you may dig:

• Steamed Asparagus
• Chlorophyll and Awesomeness Salad (Arugula and Asparagus)
• Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Brown Butter

~~~

Roasted Asparagus and Chickpeas
Yields 4–5 servings

1 1/2 lbs asparagus, snapped into pieces
1 1/2 cups (or 15 oz can) chickpeas, dried and soaked
2 tbsp olive oil
2 generous pinches sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

1) Preheat oven to 400°.

2) Wash asparagus and break of woody ends from spears. Then break spears into evenly sized pieces.

3) In a large bowl, toss asparagus and chickpeas with olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste.

4) Spread evenly on a baking sheet and place on the center rack of the oven for 10 minutes. Stir, flip, toss, etc. the vegetables and put back in the oven for another 5–10 minutes or until the asparagus is tender but not mushy and the chickpeas have started to caramelize.

5) Serve as a side dish or over salad greens with a light, springy dressing.

6) Bask in the praise you will receive.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, and Price per Serving
Serves 4: 168.3 calories, 6.9g fat, 6.8g fiber, $0.71
Serves 5: 134.7 calories, 5.5g fat, 5.4g fiber, $0.57

Calculations
1 1/2 lbs asparagus: 90 calories, .5g fat, 9g fiber, $2.50
1 1/2 cups chickpeas: 403 calories, 6g fat, 18g fiber, $.21
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil: 180 calories, 21g fat 0g fiber, $.12
sea salt: negligible calories, fat, fiber, $.02
black pepper: negligible calories, fat, fiber, $.02
TOTALS: 673 calories, 27.5g fat, 27g fiber, $2.87
PER SERVING (TOTALS/4): 168.3 calories, 6.9g fat, 6.8g fiber, $0.71
PER SERVING (TOTALS/5): 134.7 calories, 5.5g fat, 5.4g fiber, $0.57

Video How to Cook Asparagus

Long slender asparagus spears are a versatile vegetable equally perfect for everyday meals and special occasions alike. In this video, you’ll find out how to choose healthy asparagus spears at the grocery store, then learn a few ways to cook them till they’re done just right, not too mushy or stringy but with that perfect bite, tender and crisp. You’ll also learn which asparagus spears are best suited for different types of cooking, whether steaming, stir frying, roasting, or even microwaving; and how best to clean and prepare them so they’ll cook evenly. You’ll see how to quickly stop asparagus from cooking so it remains crisp and tender and discover ways to preserve asparagus’s vibrant green color. No matter how you cook it, asparagus makes a quick and elegant side dish.