It's Asparagus Season

You know you've been wondering what people have been doing, crouched down on the side of the road and ditchbanks, all month.

You should know by now that it's Asparagus season, and it's everywhere.  I was lucky to be caring for my grandfather, who's home backed up to an apple orchard, last season.  You know what that means... Asparagus picking every night!  We had asparagus frozen well into mid fall, and still wished for more.  My favorite is fresh asparagus with a little olive oil, and a drizzle of syrupy, well aged balsamic vinegar.  Top it off with some fresh ground pepper and sea salt... my mouth is watering!  Roast it, steam it, grill it or eat it raw... you can't go wrong!

Here are some cooking tips for preparing fresh asparagus, stove top.

Saucepan or Steamer: Cook fresh asparagus in a small amount of boiling water until tender. Fresh asparagus will be crisp-tender in 5 to 8 minutes.

Frying Pan:
Place a strip of folded aluminum on the bottom and up the sides of the pan, extending over the edges. Bring water to a boil; add asparagus spears and cook, uncovered, until crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Use foil strips to gently lift the spears to a serving dish.

Did you know Asparagus is a member of the Lily family, has no fat, no cholesterol and very low sodium?  Go here for more facts on Idaho Asparagus, along with some fun stuff for the kids... coloring pages, a crossword puzzle, matching game and word search.  The Idaho Preferred website also has a ton of information on buying local and in season, so check it out. They also have a great downloadable calendar of what's in season.  Go here for the top 20 asparagus recipes.

And remember to always ask before picking on private property...