ASPARAGUS : APRIL 1, 2007

So I’ve been on spring break for the past nine days, and today marks the official last day of my holidays before I head back to school to teach the kiddies. Although spring officially came sometime while I was still in school teaching (around March 21st or thereabouts, I believe), I didn’t actually absorb the fact that it was spring until I had these few days off.

I went for walks outside all week to soak up the sun’s new rays that streamed through still-winterish-looking skies. I ate an ice cream cone one day. I contemplated washing the salt off my car (and probably should have), but didn’t. I relaxed.

Asparagus went on sale in all the grocery stores and markets this week. To me, that is a surefire way to know that it truly is spring. Somewhere, somehow, the ground knows that the warmth has come enough to start pushing up those gloriously delicious little green shoots. At $1.98/lb, I had to pick up one bunch. I’m sure I will continue to buy bushels and bushels of it, too, until spring officially begins to morph into summer and $1.98/lb somehow turns back into $4.99/lb.

Derek and I ate our asparagus with spice-rubbed chicken and fettuccine one day this week. The day after that meal, Derek went back to work for a six day stretch, which left me to eat all my lunches and dinners alone. Never in the mood to cook anything fancy for myself, I puttered through the cupboards and fridge to come up with something that could suffice as a simple meal for just me. I spied a can of tuna, long forgotten, in the cupboard above the microwave. From the crisper, my hand emerged with a bag of long green onions, a bag of celery stalks, and the bag of asparagus. I can do something with this! I realized.

I toasted up a few slices of bread in the toaster-oven while I poached (blanched?) several asparagus stalks, snapped in half, in a shallow saucepan. I diced the celery and green onions and mixed them with the tuna, adding some Miracle Whip to act as the emulsifier. After I had assembled my two open-faced sandwiches (recipe follows), I sat down on the couch to enjoy them with a little bit of the Food Network. I didn’t get much TV watching done as I sat completely immersed in my own food! I moaned and groaned over the perfect flavors of the sandwich and have completely discovered a new favorite for myself. I’ve included the recipe here for you if you’d like to try your own hands at my new favorite springtime meal.


ASPARAGUS AND TUNA ON TOAST

ONE. Toast whole wheat bread till it is nice and dark and crispy.

TWO. While toast is toasting, gently simmer asparagus spears (halved) in one inch of boiing water.

THREE. While asparagus boils, dice one stalk of celery and one long green onion.

FOUR. Open tuna. Mix tuna with desired amount of Miracle Whip, add in salt and pepper to taste; then add diced celery and green onion.

FIVE. Drain asparagus. I like to make sure mine are still firm and crisp but are tender when pierced with a fork.

SIX. Retrieve toast. Smother with tuna mixture. Top with short asparagus spears. Top the open-faced sandwich with more fresh-ground pepper.

SEVEN. Eat, MOAN, and crave another sandwich.


And, I ought to mention my other favorite way to cook and eat asparagus, in case you’ve never explored this tender shoot as an edible option.


SAUTEED SPRING ASPARAGUS

ONE. Take a bunch of asparagus. Rinse and clean them gently under cold water. Snap off dry bottom end where breakage naturally occurs.

TWO. Bring a shallow saucepan of water to the boil (approximately two inches of water will suffice). Add asparagus spears to water when it is at a gentle boil.

THREE. Allow asparagus to boil until they are tender when pierced with a fork. They should still be somewhat crisp.

FOUR. When asparagus are tender, drain them. Return the pan to the burner over medium heat. Add drained asparagus stalks back into the pan.

FIVE. Add to the asparagus in the sautee pan: one tablespoon of butter, a sprinkling of sea salt, and a generous amount of fresh-cracked black pepper. Sautee for two to three minutes, ensuring that all the stalks of asparagus are coated in butter, salt, and pepper.

SIX. Serve immediately while still hot and crisp. Can be served alongside meat or fish or on top of a pasta dish or toast.


Okay, okay, here is one last recipe for today that includes asparagus. I made this earlier in the week, and it was absolutely divine.


FRESH SPRING CAPELLINI WITH ASPARAGUS AND SALMON

ONE. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil for the pasta.

TWO. Dice 4 roma tomatoes, seeds removed. Place diced tomatoes in a small bowl and cover with olive oil, salt and pepper, and two cloves of crushed garlic. Leave at room temperature for flavors to marinate.

THREE. Season 4 salmon fillets with salt and pepper. Broil or grill the fish until it is done to your liking.

FOUR. When pasta water is at a rolling boil, add one package of capellini (angel hair) noodles.

FIVE. In a sautee pan, cook off asparagus as described in the above-listed recipe. While the asparagus is still crispy, add tomato-oil-garlic mixture to the pan to heat it up. Add one more clove of garlic and a few more tablespoons of olive oil (this will become the pasta sauce to coat the noodles).

SIX. Drain capellini noodles and immediately add them into the sautee pan with asparagus and tomato mixture. Toss noodles so that they are coated with oil and so that vegetables mix throughout. Remove from heat.

SEVEN. Plate the pasta onto four plates. Top each heap of pasta with a sprinkling of freshly chopped basil leaves and one salmon filet. Enjoy while it is still warm.


Enjoy!

WORD COUNT: 1000