Cathy Katavich
Cathy's KITCHEN
Cathy received her culinary training at CIA, Culinary Institute of
America, at both Greystone (Napa) and Hyde Park, NY. She man-
aged Research and Development for Gilroy Foods and in the past ten
years she was involved in their frozen vegetable business, heading up
Business Development, Sales and Marketing.
Asparagus…the Harbinger of Spring!
Asparagus signifi es spring regardless of the weather! We start to see beautiful asparagus in our stores in late February, from crops grown in
Mexico and California’s Imperial Valley. By April it is grown locally, and by mid-June the commercial crops are about fi nished. We have the
luxury of enjoying it year-round but now is the time to enjoy asparagus at its best!
Asparagus is a member of the lily family that includes onion, garlic and leeks. Because it is found wild in so many areas of the globe,
some uncertainty exists about its origins, but historians think it probably came from the Eastern Mediterranean region of the world.
History
The ancient Greeks enjoyed wild aspara-
gus, but cultivation didn’t begin until
the Roman period. Julius Caesar liked to
eat it with melted butter, Queen Nefertiti
proclaimed asparagus to be the food of
the Gods, and in the 16th Century Louis
XIV of France allegedly had special
greenhouses built to grow his asparagus.
Colonists brought asparagus to North
America in the 1700s and it became
widely available. Asparagus was a favor-
ite of Thomas Jefferson. He learned to
enjoy it while he was Minister to France.
So, of course, he planted it in his gar-
den! He had a square in his Monticello
garden reserved for asparagus; it was one
of the few vegetables for which Jefferson
documented a cultivation technique
(the plants were mulched with tobacco
leaves). By the 1850’s asparagus found
its way to California, where about 70%
of all the nation's asparagus is grown.
Nutritional Information
Asparagus provides Vitamin A, B2 and C,
and is a good source of potassium, iron,
calcium and fi ber. It contains glutathi-
one, a compound scientists believe can
prevent some kinds of cancers. It’s a rich
source of antioxidants and folate, which
can help slow aging and keep the brain
healthy, and is a well-known diuretic Re-
search suggests eating asparagus can ease
hangovers and protect liver cells against
alcohol’s toxins. Maybe that explains the
asparagus stalk in a Bloody Mary!
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Types of Asparagus
Most of the asparagus we see is green,
but it can be green, white or purple.
Green asparagus is the most common
in the United States, while the white
is more popular in Europe. White as-
paragus is grown under the soil where
sunshine doesn’t penetrate the plant,
so it does not produce the chlorophyll
necessary to produce the green color.
When eaten raw, white asparagus has
a sweet, nutty taste. Asparagus is a
perennial crop, which means that it
comes back year after year. It takes
several years for asparagus to produce,
but a healthy asparagus plot will keep
growing for 10 years or more.
What to Look For
Stalks should be fi rm, smooth, upright,
and bright green. Pay close attention
to the tips. They are the best part and
most likely to spoil or break. Tips
should be closed and compact.
How to Store and Handle
Asparagus is usually sold in bundles,
secured with bands. When you get
home, remove the bands and keep it
loose in a plastic bag in the refrigerator
for a few days.
Asparagus needs to be trimmed
since the stalk ends can be tough or
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
april/may 2019
woody. To trim thin asparagus, hold
the stalk towards the bottom with
thumb and forefinger of both hands.
Bend gently and let it snap where the
asparagus is tender.
To peel or not to peel! I never
knew feelings ran so strongly on this
subject! It’s purely a personal prefer-
ence although the French think it’s
imperative. Peeling can be beneficial
with thick stalks. And peeling the
bottom third or so of the stalk does
look beautiful when simply prepared.
How To Use
Asparagus is great whether hot, room
temperature or chilled. It can be
steamed, grilled, boiled, roasted, fried,
sautéed and stir fried. Some think it’s
best when simply prepared and served
with butter or olive oil.
The quickest and easiest way to cook
asparagus is to plunge it into a large
skillet with boiling salted water and
simmer for 8 to 15 minutes, depending
on the thickness of the stalk. Drain,
season and serve immediately. With very
fresh asparagus all that’s required is a
drizzle of good olive oil, fresh squeezed
lemon juice and a sprinkling of salt
and pepper. To serve cold as a salad,
immediately plunge the cooked aspara-
gus into an ice-cold water bath. Lay out
on paper towels to dry slightly. Don’t
dress your asparagus with vinaigrette, or
any acidic ingredient until you’re ready
to serve since acid can quickly dull the
color and flavor of asparagus.
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