The Cook’s Kitchen

Now that it is peak season for asparagus, it’s a good time for an refresher.

When choosing asparagus, you want to look for crisp stalks and tightly closed purple tips.  There are tons of ways to prepare fresh asparagus, each one more simple than the next.  You can roast, steam or even grill them, but just be sure to keep a close watch on them, because they cook in under 5 minutes and can get mushy and bitter real fast.

Getting your asparagus ready:

1. Snap off the tough bottom by grasping both ends with your hands and gently bending the spear.  It will break naturally where it’s supposed to.
2. For a nice presentation, cut off the woody bottom of the stems with a sharp knife on a diagonal.
3. For a delicious and easy recipe, Martita’s Awesome Asparagus is a great place to start.

Photo: Morguefile/JasonWebber01