We’re going to take a slight diversion from cooking today, but it’s still very food-related. No cooking tonight … The Husband worked late, and Nicholas had a babysitter, so I took advantage of the extra time to get ready for our trip tomorrow. Every year, my Mom and I embark on a road trip to Brimfield, MA for their thrice-annual Antique Show. It’s a tradition we’ve enjoyed for 8 years now. We go in an empty truck and usually come back with it packed to the gills. Martha Stewart, Ralph Lauren, Barbra Streisand and other notables attend with the rest of us, visiting over 5,000 antique and flea market vendors. We have a blast, and on top of the treasure hunting, there’s delicious lobster bisque and lobster rolls to be had – I can’t wait. You can get a look at last years’ trip here and here.
So until the New England Road Trip Reporting begins, a behind-the-scenes look at one of my favorite vegetables … asapargus!
Asparagus is available year-round, but Spring is the best time to buy it (read: Go Now!). It takes three years from the first sowing of the seed to first glimpse of the stalks.
When buying asparagus from your local grocery store or farmers market, look for stalks that are firm, straight and vibrantly green.
When you get it home, trim the ends of the asparagus and stand them upright in a jar with about an inch of water in the bottom. To trim, just bend the stalk and it will naturally break at the right point, eliminating the tougher, woody bottom. Cover with a plastic bag and store in the refrigerator for up to two days.
There are many different ways to prepare asparagus, for example, blanching and roasting are popular. Roasting is a particular favorite of mine. To roast asparagus, trim the ends and lay the stalks flat in a baking sheet. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, salt and cracked black pepper. Bake at 350 for approximately half an hour. Delicious. You can also see another good recipe here.
Just a half cup of cooked asparagus has huge amounts of folic acid, vitamin C, potassium and beta-carotene, so eat up!
Until tomorrow…
A year ago today… a peek at Sweetnicks’ Library!
I love asparagus! As long as it’s cooked right. There’s nothing worse than stringy asparagus that you can’t chew.
Have a GREAT trip … lucky daughter, lucky Mum.
Hi,
This is Angel Chef. I know someone probably already asked but, is it possible that your tomato red rice recipe is posted somewhere on the site? Spanish style rice is something I’ve been trying to conquer. You mentioned yours is flavorful. Mine is always bland. Pointers would be helpful. Thanks.
Angel in Chicago
Angel Chef – the Tomato Red Rice recipe was posted last night (5/21/06). Let me know if you can’t find it (it’s waaaaay at the bottom of the post). :)