Welcome to the first post of my new weekly feature, how to store & eat.
The most important thing you can do for yourself is to put good stuff in you. Ya know, eat well. The most challenging thing about eating well is knowing what to do with fresh ingredients. Simple questions seem hard. What do I do with that? How do you store that? How do you cook that
Each week I will walk you through tips for buying, storing and cooking with some of my favorite fruits, vegetables and herbs.
Asparagus
I hated asparagus as a kid. My mom made me try it for years. Until I finally asked if I could just have broccoli instead. So glad she caved. To prove that tastes change over time I now love asparagus. I don’t love the unpleasant and smelly after effects but I will take it over not having asparagus. If you are new to asparagus the after effects are nothing to be alarmed about. Just remember there are effects when you head to the bathroom after a plate full of this delicious vegetable.
Season: Spring-early summer
What to look for at the store:
stalks that are similar in diameter with ends that aren’t too dried out.
How to store it:
Think of asparagus as what it really is, a flower. When you bring it home take it out of the pack trim the ends and stand it up in water. Place in the fridge and use as needed. By storing it this way my asparagus lasts an extra week longer. This is especially help since we buy in bulk at a warehouse store.
How to prepare it:
It used to be thought you should cut off the woodiest parts of the stalk because the base can be tough and stringy when cooked. This isn’t really the case in supermarket or farmer market asparagus so don’t waste it.
How to cook it:
Preheat to the oven to 400 degrees
Place your prepared spears on a cookie sheet. drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Place sheet in the oven for 20 minutes.
Links to some great asparagus recipes:
Bacon wrapped asparagus - just like Disneyland
15 great asparagus recipes - collection by Bless this Mess
Fried asparagus spears - yum!
It might seem I am starting with an odd vegetable because it isn’t in season right now. But let’s be real most fruits/vegetables are available year round. So if they are available year round and the most important thing is to eat well then, I think it is more important to help you understand what to do with these fun foods. I am a big fan of buying produce primarily during the natural growing season because when you buy them local and in season they taste SO MUCH better. Keep that in mind as you learn about these foods.
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