Asparagus
By: Anonymous

About

Asparagus is the green, stalk vegetable of a flowering plant bearing the same name, believed to be a native plant throughout Europe.  
The shoots of this plant are used in cooking and are thought also to be of medicinal value in the treatment of various ailments, such as arthritis. It´s a good source of vitamins K and A, as well as of iron and copper.
Asparagus is served steamed, blanched or roasted in soups, salads, or plain. To remove the tough portion of the stalk, bend the asparagus; the stem will snap at the right spot.

Information
Other names: (蘆筍 in Traditional Chinese)
Translations: Sparģeļi, Šparagai, Sparanghel, Šparoga, Măng tây, Szparagi, Asperge, अस्परगस, Espargos, Спаржа, Σπαράγγι, نبات الهليون, 아스파 라 거스, Chřest, 芦笋, Espàrrecs, Beluši, Špargľa, Asparagi, אספרגוס, Sparris, Шпаргла, アスパラガス, Asperges, Spargel, Asparges, Asparges, Espárragos, Спаржа, Parsa, Аспержи


Physical Description
Asparagus usually refers to the stalk of the asparagus plant, which has small, scale-like leaves on the tip. The stalk grows along with feathery leaves to the outside, which are not eaten. Asparagus is usually eaten when the stalks are very young and tender.
Colors: light or medium green, some varieties are purple, and some varieties are white


Tasting Notes
Flavors: mild, smooth
Mouthfeel: Crisp when raw, Tender when lightly cooked, Mushy when overcooked
Food complements: Chicken, Pork, Beef
Wine complements: Sauvignon blanc, Chenin blanc, Riesling, Sparkling wine
Beverage complements: Sparkling water, Iced tea, Vodka, Mimosa
Substitutes: Broccoli, Canned hearts of palm


Selecting and Buying
Seasonality: february, march, april, may, june
Peak: april, may
Choosing: How to Buy Asparagus
Ideally, you'll buy fresh asparagus and prepare it the same day, but you can find frozen spears all year round.
1. In Season: Fresh asparagus is in season from late February through June.
2. Off Season: You can buy asparagus canned or frozen, or find fresh asparagus grown in a hothouse or imported from warmer climates.
3. How Much: The general rule is 1.5 pounds of asparagus for 4 people.
4. Thick or Thin: The size of the asparagus you buy has more to do with personal preference than taste. Martha Stewart says the thick stalks are often just as tender and delicious as the thin ones.
5. Tips: Whichever size stalk you choose, the tips should be closed.
6. Eat Fresh: Although you can store asparagus for 3-5 days in the refrigerator, you should cook it as soon as possible to take full advantage of its great flavor! 
Buying: It is best to buy at the peak of freshness, so look at farmers' markets locally. The spring months are the best time to purchase asparagus.
But if you're too busy, you can just get Asparagus from your nearest supermarket or grocery store.
Procuring: How to Grow Asparagus
If you've been hankering to plant some edibles among your ornamentals - or vice versa - asparagus is the plant to start with. It's a warm-season veggie with fernlike foliage - bright green in summer, golden in autumn - that's stunning enough to grace any ornamental border.
Instructions
Choose a site where your plants won't be disturbed - and where you and they can happily coexist for 10 to 15 years.
Grow asparagus in partial or full sun (it performs best in full sun) in soil with a pH of 6.5 to 7.0, amended with plenty of organic matter that is rich in potassium and phosphorus.
Buy asparagus crowns (established root systems with dormant top growth) at your nursery or through a catalog. In cool regions, plant them in early spring when the soil temperature has reached about 50 degrees F. In warm regions, plant in late winter.
Make a 7-inch-deep, V-shaped furrow (or more, depending on how many crowns you're planting) and in each one spread a handful of wood ashes, a handful of bonemeal, and an inch layer of compost or well-rotted manure.
Soak the crowns in compost tea for 10 minutes or so and lay them on their sides on top of the organic matter, 12 to 16 inches apart, in rows 4 feet apart. (See "How to Make Compost Tea.")
Fill in the furrows gradually as shoots emerge, taking care not to cover any foliage; eventually, the furrow will be level with the soil surface. Don't bother spreading out the roots; they'll find their way down.
Weed diligently and mulch heavily with chopped leaves or straw after you've filled in the furrows.
Side-dress plants with a balanced organic fertilizer in late summer, and top the bed in organic mulch in the fall.
Give new plantings one to two inches of water a week; after that, water only when rainfall is scant.
Refrain from harvesting any spears during your plants' first year in your garden. Each spear needs to "fern out" so that the roots can grow stronger and more productive. The second year you can pick a few that reach about the size of your index finger. The third year, pick finger-size spears for two to four weeks in the spring. In subsequent years, take all the finger-size spears you want for six to eight weeks, or until the spears that come up are thin and spindly.
Tips:
Asparagus is well worth the three-year wait it takes before you can harvest your first full crop. A well-tended bed will give you tender, delectable spears year after year for a decade or more, at a tiny fraction of the price you'd pay at the supermarket.
The experts disagree about when to cut down asparagus foliage: in the fall to keep pests from moving in for the winter, or in spring so that the foliage can protect the crowns through the winter. The choice is yours, but if you cut in autumn, do it after a few killing frosts have struck, and then mulch the bed. If you wait till spring, cut the foliage to ground level before new spears start popping through the soil.
In some regions, asparagus tends to suffer from fusarium wilt. Check with your county Extension Service; if the disease is a problem in your area, order certified disease-free crowns from a reputable nursery in another part of the country.



Preparation and Use
Asparagus should be cleaned well and if the thick ends of the stalk are too fibrous, they can be snapped off. Aspargus can be steamed, or boiled upright with the leafy tips out of the water. It can also be stir-fried for 2-3 minutes, or grilled briefly.
Cleaning: Gently scrub asparagus under running water, paying more attention to the thick ends of the stalk, where dirt may have collected. If the stems seem tough or scaly, you can use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin from the bottom third of the stem.


Conserving and Storing
These delicate vegetables need moisture and can't be stored for long. It's best to use them soon after purchasing.
Instructions:
Wet a paper towel and wrap around bottom of asparagus stalks.
Place in plastic bag.
Put in coldest part of refrigerator, preferably the crisper.
Store for no more than 2-4 days.
Tips:
You can also stand asparagus in 2 inches of water and place in the refrigerator, with a plastic bag over the tips.
Flavor of asparagus will lessen each day it is stored.
Asparagus does not lend itself to drying or canning, but can be frozen. They can also be pickled via lacto-fermentation.



Social/Political
In the 16th century, asparagus gained popularity in France and England. From there, the early colonists brought it to America and often called the “Food of Kings”. King Louis XVI of France, who did indeed dress in silken splendor when he dined, was so in love with asparagus that his gardeners were instructed to grow it in hothouses for his year-round pleasure.
History: There are records of asparagus being grown for food in Ancient Egyptian artwork, perhaps as long ago as 3000 BC.
Asparagus name is derived from Greek word asparagos. It’s native to the East Mediterranean area, cultivated form antiquity and now grown in much of the world. Asparagus cultivation began 2000 years ago in eastern Mediterranean region. Greeks and Romans ate it fresh when in season and dried the vegetable for use in winter.
Having appeared in England as early as the year 1000, it was known as sperage and sperach. Asparagus has been used as a vegetable and medicine, owing to its delicate flavor and diuretic properties.
The Emperor Augustus coined the phrase ‘velocius quam asparagi conquantur’, meaning to do something faster than you can cook asparagus. Julius Caesar first ate it in Lombardy and wanted it served with melted butter. And in the time of King Louis XIV asparagus was dubbed ‘The King of Vegetables’.

Comments:
Jameson Fink

Contrary to ridiculous dogma, asparagus is delicious with wine. I especially like it with a zesty Sauvignon Blanc.
Sheri Wetherell

Photo from http://www.karacooks.com/2010/05/asparagus-and-red-potato-salad/comment-page-1/
Sheri Wetherell

Photo from http://www.karacooks.com/2010/05/asparagus-and-red-potato-salad/comment-page-1/
Jameson Fink

Contrary to ridiculous dogma, asparagus is delicious with wine. I especially like it with a zesty Sauvignon Blanc.