(ok, I know what you are thinking..Pee? Yummy? in the same sentence? read on folks..)
Sorry for the Title Folks, I couldn't help it. I am still Me, no matter how refined I may cook
Sorry for the Title Folks, I couldn't help it. I am still Me, no matter how refined I may cook
Aww, the humble Asparagus...It is such the perfect time of the year to head up to your local farmers market and pick some up. Did you know that the Asparagus is from mediterranean and asian decent and means Sprout or shoot and derives from the lilly family? as are onions, garlic, leeks, turnips and gladioli. The ancient Greeks loved wild asparagus but it was the Romans who first cultivated it.
So a few weeks back I went to the Farmers Market to pick up this lovely Shoot.
I have cooked asparagus many different ways. When I first learned to cook asparagus I slightly boiled them till Al Dente. Left them whole and dressed with vinegar, oil, purple onions and blue cheese. Of course S&P. Back then I only wanted the thinnest asparagus I could find, Because I had visions of when I bought thick aspargus my Grandma actually taking a potato peeler and trimming the woody parts.
then I went totally raw for a while, they had to be thin for this. I chopped, then added diced Purple onion, diced hard cheese such as pecorino romano along with fresh thyme, lemon juice, EVOO and S&P
FAST FORWARD TO NOW
I like'em thick and tender!
The local Desoto Farmers Market is really gaining a name for itself with fresh produce and of course meat (from Henry Meat Co) But my Favorite Vendor has got to be Cindy! her prices are the best and so is her produce.
But before these delectable plants were available at your farmers market and store
they were cultivated more than 2,000 years ago in the eastern Mediterranean region. Greeks and Romans prized asparagus for its unique flavor, texture and alleged medicinal qualities. They ate it fresh when in season and dried the vegetable for use in winter.
A few weeks ago I picked up asparagus from Cindy at the Desoto Farmers Market, They were gorgeous! with hues of purple and green, enough for my heart to salivate what I was going to make with them. Was it going to be Asparagus Salad that had been boiled? how about grilled asparagus? raw asparagus salad? how about Asparagus soup?
NO.
None of the above
It was oven roasted with prosciutto(pig meat aka PORK) . This asparagus was the best that I have ever eaten. I don't know if it was the cooking process or the grower of the produce. The Asparagus were naturally sweet from the dirt which it grew in.
I loved the wee bit of the al Dente that the thicker asparagus has with the crispy salty goodness of prosciutto wrapped around it.
And if that wasn't good enough I Kicked it up a notch..WITH HOLLANDAISE SAUCE!
Julius Caesar would have been in HOLLANDAISE heaven if he could have eaten asparagus this way. Julius Caesar was the first to request BUTTER with asparagus.
(Because, well, butter makes everything better..duh)
Can someone please tell me how just a few simple ingredients like Egg, a whole stick of butter and lemon juice becomes so elegant? wow...I just love the stuff!
(hence the the whole stick of butter and going back to the comment "butter makes everything better..." DUH)
and in short, to finish our history lesson, (cause I have made myself hungry)
These graceful spears of the asparagus plant have always been a sign of elegance and in the past asparagus was deemed a delicacy only the wealthy could afford. Roman emperors were so fond of asparagus, that they kept a special asparagus fleet for the purpose of fetching it.
But now you too can feast like a king! head up to your local farmers market and grocer and buy it fresh!
feast on asparagus when in season.
Heidi
