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White Asparagus

6/8/2019

4 Comments

 
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I tried a new vegetable.
White asparagus is ragingly popular in France during the late spring and early summer months. The first time I saw it in my local market, I wondered what misfortune had occurred that produced fat white asparagus. I hoped the farmers could sell enough to recoup their losses. Turns out, it was no accident--the French love this stuff.

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I watched white asparagus season go by twice before deciding to try it. I like asparagus, but I just couldn’t see the benefit of a white vegetable. Then I got FOMO and gave it a shot.

I was cautious because I asked a French friend if she cooked them and she said, no, it gives you bluh bluh bluh. I didn’t understand bluh bluh bluh, so she made motions indicating a rapid evacuation of the bowels. Ah. I see. Go easy on the white asparagus.

My first mistake was in choosing my white asparagus spears. With green (or with purple--here’s looking at you, California) I like the tender slender ones. Therefore, I chose the slimmest white asparagus and then came home and googled a recipe (wrong order obv) and learned that the thickest ones are best. Oops. Too late now.

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The recipe said I should hack off the woody lower stems (why don’t they just cut them off there and not sell me something I’m going to throw away?) and then peel off the outer layers. The recipe also said I could save the woody butts for making soup, but nobody’s got time for that. I peeled them with a small knife, which wasn’t too difficult since the outer layer is pretty obvious.
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Then I boiled them for 17 minutes (that’s what my rice timer had left on it and the recipe said 5-30 minutes so it seemed like a good compromise) in water, butter, salt, and lemon juice. After I drained them, I sprinkled a little seasoned salt on them.

The taste test? I thought they were okay, but  a weird combination of mushy and hard-to-cut. Sam said he preferred green asparagus, and Kid 3 said they tasted like something I can’t print here, followed by no offense, mom, so I forgave him. He’s the third kid so I pretty much let him do whatever he wants, including be brutally honest about vegetables I’ve cooked.

So, I won’t be cooking white asparagus again. Funny, I’d be willing to try it in a restaurant, but they haven’t shown up on any restaurant menus I’ve seen, in spite of being a big seasonal hit. They do, however, have beaujolais nouveau season in restaurants, a wine served in November, so I’ll just have that.
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Have you tried white asparagus? Your thoughts?

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4 Comments
Birgit
6/23/2019 05:20:49 pm

In Germany, they are practically a religion in the spring. And pretty much without fail served with a lemony hollandaise. Which, let's face it, you could pour over dog treats and they would taste great. Go to Germany during asparagus season, and pretty much any restaurant will have it on the menu. Often, the entire meal is just asparagus, with the hollandaise, and boiled potatoes. You can get it with a slice of ham, but that is generally considered a non-essential side dish. Spargelzeit rocks! (Which, btw, officially ends tomorrow.)

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Yvonne
6/25/2019 01:08:24 am

Birgit, I finally found them in a restaurant and they were (just the asparagus) (hold onto your hat) 26 Euros a plate! 26! No way. I can feed my family for a whole day for 26 Euros. Are they that much in German restaurants?

And, yes, buttery Hollondaise on dog treats would be fine.

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Jennifer
6/18/2020 02:22:13 am

You've got to try them again! Cut off the ends, use a vegetable peeler on them and spread them out on a cookie sheet. Brush olive oil, and sprinkle with salt/pepper/Herbes de Provence. Roast at 400F for 15-20min, shaking the pay once in the middle. Pure heaven!

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Yvonne
6/18/2020 05:01:12 am

Jennifer, you've inspired me to try it again. Thanks for reading!
Yvonne

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