Asparagus Season in Tennessee
Luxurious asparagus is the first to show up at the Allen’s garden party. And the first to get eaten too.
You don’t need to peel asparagus unless the stems are tough, and then, only the lower half of the asparagus. So how much of the spear to use? You can use it all. To trim asparagus, either peel the tough end, and cut off the dry tip, or snap the spears. Hold the ends of the asparagus and gently bend. It will break at the point where the tender part of the asparagus ends. The tougher end of the spear has plenty of flavor, and can be used to make an aromatic stock. You can use the stock many ways: as a soup base (it’s a fabulous base for fish soup), as a poaching liquid for fish, to make risotto, and to cook spaghettini.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups shelled fresh peas (about 1 pound in the shell)
- 12 thick spears asparagus, trimmed
- 1 large garlic clove, smashed and peeled
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 whole anchovy, chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 pound pea shoots
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
Preparation
- In a pot of boiling water, cook the peas until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain. Using a very sharp knife (or a mandolin if you have one) cut the asparagus into very thin slivers on an angle. Raw asparagus must be very thinly sliced to be palatable.
- Rub the garlic clove around the inside of a wooden bowl. Add the mustard powder and lemon juice. Mix until the mustard powder dissolves. Add the anchovy and combine well. Add the oil, mixing all the while. Add the peas, asparagus, and pea shoots and toss in the dressing.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste and toss with the Parmesan cheese.
About this recipe
I have served this surprisingly rich salad as a second course after a pasta dish, on top of a piece of broiled fish, and garnished with croutons: they’re all good! When choosing pea shoots, look for small pale leaves with plenty of thin, curling tendrils.
Recipe and text from The Kitchen Ecosystem by Eugenia Bone (Clarkson Potter, 2014)
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