IT’S BEEN A GOOD YEAR FOR THE ASPARAGUS

 

April showers bring May asparagus. Although there’s no asparagus in my garden, I’m buying  locally-grown asparagus by double bunches.

According to the growers’ association, Spain is estimated to produce about 60 million kilos (roughly 66,000 tons) of green asparagus this season, more than half of it in the province of Granada (Andalusia). Add in the pricey white asparagus, grown in Navarra and the Valle de Tietar (Extremadura), and it’s shaping up to be a good year for asparagus. (Much of the fresh white asparagus gets shipped to Germany for the spargelfest; the remainder is canned and is considered a delicacy in Spain.)

I confess to buying asparagus all year round, when it’s imported mainly from Peru at unbelievably low prices. But while it lasts, I am enjoying the Spanish crop. Usually I simply cook asparagus until just tender (lift a spear on a fork; if it bends slightly over the fork, it’s done). I serve it with mayonnaise, preferably homemade with extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of sour orange juice. My next favorite way is in a revuelto, scrambled with eggs and mushrooms. Here are more ways to cook asparagus.

Rustic Asparagus Soup with Cheese Toasts (Sopa de Esparragos). This soup from La Mancha, made with either wild or cultivated asparagus, might have a pinch of saffron and cheesy toast on top. Poach an egg in the broth to add substance. The recipe is here.

White Asparagus Bisque with Saffron (Crema de Esparragos Blancos con Azafrán). From rustic (above) to posh. This soup is fit for a special occasion. Enriched with cream, the bisque can be made with fresh or canned white asparagus. See the recipe here.

Asparagus Frittata (Tortilla de Esparragos). This started out to be a revuelto or tortilla with asparagus and eggs. Because the oven was on, I set the pan in the oven to finish cooking. Sauté the chopped asparagus in olive oil with sliced garlic and (optional) chopped chard, zucchini, mushrooms, and bacon until asparagus is crisp-tender. Beat 4 eggs with 1/4 cup milk, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pour over the vegetables, stirring until eggs begin to set. Place in medium-hot (375ºF) oven until eggs are set and just beginning to brown on top (about 8 minutes). Serve with grated cheese if you like. 

Eggs Scrambled with Asparagus and Shrimp (Revuelto de Esparragos con Gambas). My favorite lunchtime dish--revuelto, eggs scrambled with whatever vegetable is at hand. This version with shrimp might be served as a brunch dish for a crowd or heaped on toasts as an hors d'oeuvre. The recipe for the pictured revuelto is here . A recipe for a sauté of asparagus, shrimp, and morels (no eggs) is here. 

Asparagus with Two Sauces (Esparragos con Dos Salsas). This cold dish, which makes an excellent starter, is often prepared with canned white asparagus. But it's especially delicious with fresh green asparagus. One sauce is a variation on mayonnaise. The other is a vinaigrette with chopped scallions and red and green peppers. The recipes are here.

Wild Asparagus in Cazuela with Spring Vegetables (Cazuela de Esparragos Esparragados). Early spring brings wild asparagus to meadows and hillsides. Foragers have developed many ways to cook the thin, slightly bitter spears. This is an old traditional recipe--it's name means "asparagussed" asparagus. The vegetables cook in a sauce thickened with bread and flavored with pimentón and cumin. The cazuela usually is finished with eggs poached on top. The recipe is here. 

Sheet Pan Broiled Asparagus and Onions with Romesco Sauce (Calçotada al Grill con Esparragos y Romesco). Broiling is a great way to cook asparagus and romesco sauce is the perfect accompaniment. This is a sheet-pan adaptation of traditional Catalan feast of wood-fire grilled onions with other foods. See how to prepare calçotada and romesco sauce here. You can also grill asparagus on a plancha grill. How-to and more sauce recipes at Grilling on a Plancha.

Flamenco Baked Eggs with Asparagus and Chorizo (Huevos a la Flamenca). I call this the "Spanish shakshuka," eggs baked in a tomato sauce with sliced chorizo and asparagus spears. It's a satisfying lunch or supper dish. Recipe here.

"Garden Crayfish" (Fried Asparagus Spears) (Cigalas de la Huerta). Vegetables masquerading as fish is an old device to make simple foods appetizing. Green beans, crisply fried, sort of resemble fried fresh anchovies and pairs of asparagus spears sort of look like the claws on cigalas, sea crayfish. Directions for preparing the asparagus and other "fake" fish are here.

Mixed Spring Vegetables (Menestra de Verduras). With asparagus, peas, fava beans, and artichokes, this vegetable stew is celebration of spring vegetables. Leave out the optional sausage and it makes a splendid vegetarian main dish. The recipe is here.

White Asparagus with Clams and Shrimp, Basque Style (Esparragos a la Vasca). Make this dish with fresh white asparagus if available. If not, open a tin of silky Navarra asparagus in conserve. The recipe is here.

Asparagus Andalusian Style (Esparragos a la Andaluza). This is another version of the Cazuela de Esparragos Esparragados pictured above with wild asparagus. This one is made with cultivated green asparagus. The recipe is here.