By Staff
May - “the merry, merry month of May” - is my favorite month of the year.
Although by the time you're reading this column, it will be the first day of June, I want to reflect a moment on May.
It is the bridging month between spring and summer.
It is the time when the earth really begins to green. It's also a time for celebrating several events - May Day, the Kentucky Derby, Mother's Day, Memorial Day and my birthday.
The most important event between Mother's Day and Memorial Day is the sprouting of asparagus.
Asparagus - the king (or queen, if you prefer) of vegetables - is at its best in May.
What can be more beautiful than observing an empty brown field burst into lovely green buds and then tall, stately stalks of asparagus?
Asparagus has been in my diet for as long as I can remember. My parents used to cruise the country roads and cut wild asparagus. Of course, this was before the roadsides were sprayed with insect and weed control.
Later they were quite successful in growing it in their large garden behind our barn.
Ah, what a treat when the first serving dish filled with tender asparagus was set on the dinner table!
The best asparagus I've ever had was grown by Evan and Kathy Springsteen on their farm on Marcellus Highway.
While all asparagus is wonderful, theirs was exceptional -even better than the stalks grown in Oceana County, touted as the Asparagus Capital of the World.
As an official card-carrying aficionado of asparagus, I proudly admit that I eat asparagus 12 months a year.
Well, it goes with everything - poached or grilled salmon, shrimp, lamb, prime rib, pork tenderloin, hamburgers, goulash, BLTs, scrambled eggs, mac and cheese, and it is good just by itself (I haven't tried it with PB&J, though).
Asparagus can be served any way imaginable - in soup, steamed, blanched, in souffl“s, grilled, baked in bread, stuffed with Gorgonzola cheese, raw with a dill dip, saut“ed in butter and balsamic vinegar, drizzled with a cream sauce, lathered with a cheese sauce - the ways are limitless.
While I can't say that I have an ultimate favorite recipe, there are two that are right at the top.
Before I share these, it must be remembered that asparagus stalks should be snapped (not cut) to remove the tough end. Ok, got that? Now, after snapping the ends, cut the stalks on the diagonal in pieces of about two inches.
Sautee them in olive oil until just tender. Remove the asparagus from the skillet with a slotted spoon; add balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, and a small amount of sugar to the remaining oil in the skillet. Let this come to a gentle boil. Just when the sauce begins to thicken, toss in the asparagus only long enough to glaze it.
I also add strips of roasted red bell pepper to give it a festive color. Don't ask me about the amounts of the ingredients. If you have to ask that, you're not worthy of making this dish. A true gourmand just knows!
You should also try my latest creation! Lightly coat a baking sheet with olive oil. Stretch out several slices of bacon on the sheet, turn them over and season with lemon pepper and crushed flakes of red pepper.
Sort the asparagus into bundles of three stalks each. Wrap one slice of bacon (seasoned side out) around each bundle, beginning at the bottom, leaving the heads to peek out.
If you're limiting animal fat, use a half slice for each bundle.
Place the bundles on the baking sheet and pop it into the oven (350 degrees); bake until the bacon turns a rich red-brown (time will vary according to how done you like bacon).
Remove the bundles and blot on paper towels. The asparagus has a light crunch and it looks great on the plate. Please share these recipes with friends while visiting on the front porch.
This article is dedicated to Leon Laylin, who hates asparagus!