In the spotlight - Asparagus

Admittedly asparagus are a spring vegetable, but owing to the fact that the blog has been running for over a year now, issues such as seasonal produce and food miles have gone out of the window in terms of which fruit and veg we are now spotlighting. They may not look very similar, but asparagus are related to onions and garlic - all belonging to the lily family - and similarly asparagus grow under the ground like their bulbed relatives. Another likeness is the sulphurous compounds that they contain and when these are broken down by the body they can give rise to the distinctive smelling urine that some people experience on eating asparagus. However, not everyone produces these pungent by-products and not everyone can smell them; as with the so-called "super tasters" of brassicas veg it is down to our genetic makeup and whether we possess a certain form of the genes responsible.

In centuries gone by asparagus was held in high regard for its health promoting properties and now we know that it is a rich source of numerous nutrients, that makes sense. Asparagus is a good source of Vitamin A, C and K, as well as thiamin and folate - two of the B vitamins; it also provides smaller amounts of minerals such as iron, copper and selenium. Folate isn't just beneficial for pregnant women; there is increasing evidence that it helps to keep levels of a substance known as homocysteine in check, high levels of which have been linked with heart disease and dementia.

There are obviously a lot of good reasons to eat asparagus - both nutritionally and because they are a delicious veg, as long as they aren't overcooked - so how are they best served? A few simple ideas might be to add them to a salad, grill them to serve with say chicken or fish, roast them with other veg or use them as an interesting pizza topping. However, they can be easily incorporated into a range of dishes; for example, in a frittata with peas and mint, they can be added to a stir-fry or pasta dishes. While asparagus soup or adding them to a casserole isn't an uncommon way to use asparagus, allowing this veg to turn soft always seems a shame, so I tend to prefer recipes that allow them to retain somewhat of a bite.

Feast your eyes on these recipes for further inspiration:
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/search.do?keywords=asparagus
http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipes/tag-173/asparagus-recipes.aspx
http://www.british-asparagus.co.uk/recipe_index_quickandeasy.php

Photo by Evan-Amos via Wikimedia Commons