Spring into Asparagus

I am very lucky to live in the Valley of Evesham, one of the homes of British asparagus. I know you can buy this most of the year from abroad – but there is nothing like the Real Thing from just around the corner.

Asparagus is a highly nutritious, low-calorie vegetable rich in folate, fibre, and vitamins A, C, and K. It promotes digestive health through prebiotic fibre, supports heart health by lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, and provides strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties – and is just delicious!

Try some of these alternative ways to serve it – or just cook LOTS of asparagus and serve simple, hot with lashings of butter – using crusty bread/toast to soak up the juices.

Crab and Asparagus with Thai Mayonnaise – I’m not giving you exact quantities here – just play about and do as much as you can eat.

• Asparagus spears
• crab meat      
• sliced sourdough bread
• olive oil
• handful of rocket leaves
• 2 – 3 tablespoons of good mayonnaise
• 1 small garlic clove, peeled and crushed
• 1/2 – 1 red chilli
• freshly grated zest of 1 lime
• 1/2 tablespoon fish sauce (if this is the first time you have used it please don’t be put off by the smell – it tastes much better!)
• chopped coriander

Cook the asparagus in boiling water for 2 – 4 minutes, drain and refresh under cold running water. Stir the garlic, chilli, zest, fish sauce and coriander into the mayonnaise.  Season if necessary, fold in the crab meat and set aside.  Toast the bread, drizzle with olive oil and scatter over rocket or spinach leaves. Pile the crab mixture on top. Toss the cold asparagus spears in a little olive oil and arrange over the crab meat.

Asparagus and wild garlic have roughly the same season, and this is a simple brunch using both.

Asparagus and wild garlic frittata

• 1 bundle of asparagus
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tablespoon white wine (optional)
• 1 tablespoon grated parmesan
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small garlic clove crushed
• 1 small bunch of wild garlic leaves, washed and shredded (you can use fresh mint or basil if you can’t get hold of wild garlic)

To prepare the asparagus, first snap off and discard the woody ends. Cut the spears into 2–3cm lengths. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the asparagus, blanch for 2 minutes and drain. Put the eggs into a bowl with the white wine and 1 tbsp grated pecorino and whisk together. Season well. Heat the grill. Heat the olive oil in a smallish nonstick frying pan. Add the asparagus, garlic and wild garlic and saute over a medium heat for 2 minutes, then reduce the heat. Pour in the egg mixture and draw in from the sides with a wooden spoon to allow the uncooked egg to run underneath. Cook gently for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese and flash under the hot grill to finish cooking the top. Slide from the pan on to a large plate and cut into wedges to serve.

Sautéed Asparagus

• Olive oil
• 1 bundle asparagus, trimmed and sliced into 3-inch pieces
• Salt and black pepper

Optional Toppings

• 1 – 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1/2 lemon, zested and juiced
• /21 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• To your taste, from a jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
• feta cheese, to your liking, crumbled

Heat a cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Once it’s hot, add enough oil to generously coat the pan (about ¼ cup) and wait until it’s shimmering. Sauté the asparagus. Add the asparagus and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Cook 2 minutes, tossing regularly. If you’re adding the toppings, skip to the next step. Otherwise, continue to cook until the asparagus is tender and lightly browned, about 3 minutes more. Serve immediately.

Optional: Add the Toppings

When the asparagus has lightly softened and is still a bright green, add the shallots and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until the asparagus is tender and lightly browned, about 3 minutes.

Season. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice, zest, and red pepper flakes. Top with the roasted peppers and feta cheese.