Quote:
Originally Posted by Praline
I'm embarrassed to say I've never eaten asparagus! I'd like to try it but I wasn't sure of the tastiest way to cook it. I don't know whether I like it or not.
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It's really good.
I use something like this...
.... to shave the asparagus.
If you want to wow people, here's something you can do. Peel off the shoots from a couple of green onions and throw them in ice water with lemon juice. While they're soaking, take some 3" baby carrots (stem on), green asparagus and white asparagus and blanch them. Cut the asparagus down to the size of the carrots (about 3") keeping the tips then take your tool and shave the skin off of the asparagus.
Take a white and green asparagus tip and a carrot and tie them together with a green onion stalk. Just double knot it. I'm not some sailor or something so I don't know what kind of knot that is called.
You can also do 2 green, 2 white and 1 carrot, or 2 carrots, 1 green and 1 white or if you hate carrots just do 2 white and 2 green.
Throw them on a flat pan, ladle some [clarified] butter over them, and stick them in the oven at 300°. They're cooked, so all you want to do is heat them up. When they're done, if you want, you can season them with a sprinkle of sea salt. Or cracked pepper. Or both. Doesn't matter.
Looks cool on the plate. Gives it some color. Makes people think you're some kind of chef or something.
If you like asparagus, then you would like polk weed stems if you can find them growing in your area. But for god's sake, don't tell the FDC, EPA or USDA because they'll have a cow or something and Child Protective Services will end up at your house and then you'll get audited by the IRS.
You'll have to wait to early Summer now to pick the leaves. You might be able to find them in a nearby county or State park. Ask some the old timers, they'll know what is.
There's toxins in the leaves and stems. They are toxic, not poisonous. To get rid of the toxins, boil the leaves and stems. I throw a heaping tablespoon of baking soda in the water, bring it to a boil and throw the leaves and stems in. After about 5 minutes, dump the water out, rinse off the leaves and stems, and just boil again for 3-5 minutes. The leaves are like spinach and the stems like asparagus. I use the leaves in salad, or cook them like spinach or cook them like greens. The stems I just throw o a plate and eat. Goes good with pork steaks. New York Strip. Fish (cod or tilapia).
Back to shaving the asparagus, a lot of people complain that the outer skin on the stem is too hard, and if you have long stalks, I can see where that might turn people off, but you can shave/peel that off and they'll never know the difference.
Stalking the wild asparagus...
Mircea
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