Spring is here and with it comes our first vegetables of the season
Our recipe in this issue features some of them: asparagus, radish and the lovely chive.
Asparagus comes in different varieties, green, being the most common but look for purplish or European white. Asparagus is a great source of folic acid. It’s best to harvest right before eating but storing it carefully you can keep it up to two weeks refrigerated and two days at room temperature. Treat it like a flower, trim the ends and store upright in water or wrap the ends with a damp paper towel covering loosely with plastic wrap.
Radishes also vary in varieties; look for firm bright bulbs. Radishes matured in warm weather are not as bitter or fiery as those matured in hot weather. Overgrown radishes are woody or pithy. To store, remove tops and store loosely wrapped in the refrigerator drawer. Radishes are a wonderful source of Vitamin C and fiber. Tops can be sautéed or added to soup.
Chives are a mild onion flavor. Grow them in your flower beds; they with return each year and provide a fresh taste to your dishes. They are a great source of Vitamin A and Allicin that may contribute to lowering cholesterol and blood pressure.
Jo’s Favorite Techniques for Cooking Asparagus
Roasting – This is a great way to prevent over cooking the asparagus and
for enhancing its flavor.
- Prepare asparagus stems as described previously.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Very lightly coat asparagus with olive oil and lay out in single layer on the sheet. Very lightly sprinkle with sea salt.
- Roast, starting out at 6 minutes and check – you want the asparagus to glisten and just start to tenderize – then pull from oven and let finish cooking on the baking sheet.
Join us virtually in the kitchen for a class. Share with your friends. To register go to kish-calendar.nm.org.