Did you know that asparagus is actually in the lily family?
Now, before you go buying anyone a bouquet of the vegetable (in fact, let’s avoid any mention of aromas), it’s important to know a bit more about the healthy and versatile food — like how to best prepare it and why it grows so well in Washington.
As you might have guessed, successful asparagus cultivation starts with the soil, which is of the mineral-rich, volcanic type in the Evergreen State. There’s also plenty of water available and warm sunny days with cold nights during the harvest season, typically early April to June. Nearly 4,500 acres of the Columbia Basin, Yakima Valley and Walla Walla area are dedicated to asparagus — with 60 farms in a 100-mile radius of the Tri-Cities alone.
The spring vegetables you see on the shelves of your local market are actually the young shoots of a plant that, when matured, looks like a fuzzy cross between a fern and bamboo. As these tender stalks peek above ground, farmers must painstakingly comb over the plot every day, hand-cutting each one when it’s ready. Fully 60% of the cost of asparagus goes toward labor.
All of that TLC comes together for a terrific-tasting ingredient that can be prepared in myriad ways, both as the star of the show or a delectable side dish, in local restaurants or your own kitchen.
Chefs such as Tom Douglas, Maria Hines and Ethan Stowell often incorporate asparagus into their seasonal menus, so if you’re looking for inspiration this spring, here are some of their recipes to pull from.
This delightful pastry recipe, which mixes sliced asparagus into the cornmeal and flour dough, comes from Dahlia Bakery in Seattle. They are finished with a brush of cream and flaky sea salt, bringing a balanced, earthy sweetness that complements a wood-fired salmon filet well.
Blanched and chilled asparagus tossed with greens and herbs in a truffle and champagne vinaigrette offers a standout spring salad that will surprise your guests or offer something different to your dinner routine. The deviled egg toppings make it on the hearty side, so the salad could even be eaten by itself for lunch.
With a simple preparation for the fish and two other springtime stars in maitake and green garlic, asparagus serves as the tentpole for this celebration of the season. It’s light, flavorful and one to revisit again and again.