10:18am Monday 1st June 2009
AS we are in the middle of the all-too-brief asparagus season, I thought it would be a good chance to share an asparagus recipe so that we can take advantage of this fantastic vegetable while it is still here.
You can, of course, buy frozen or tinned asparagus all year round but my advice is to avoid these like the plague. Once you have tasted locally-grown, freshly-picked asparagus, bought from your local Worcestershire farmers’ market, you will never look at any other type.
There are those who say the only way to eat asparagus is on its own, untouched by any other foodstuff. This is fine, as asparagus has a fantastic flavour all of its own – but how do you cook it? Well, you can boil it, grill it or bake it.
My favourite method is to steam it in an upright position which allows the spears to cook evenly. Wash, trim, and peel your asparagus as desired, then tie the spears together with a string or a strip of foil. Add about 1½in (4 cms) of water to a deep saucepan. Bring the water to a rapid boil, then add the asparagus, standing the spears upright with the woody end in the water. Cover the pot and cook until the asparagus is tender, about six to eight minutes. You can test if they’re done by piercing the base with a knife.
However, if you want to use your spears as a main dish, there are dozens of recipes to choose from. This is one of my mum’s favourites.
HAM AND ASPARAGUS BAKE
Ingredients
250g fresh, farmers' market asparagus, with any woody ends removed
250g of sliced ham
A little vegetable oil
1 onion
300g of cheese sauce
Method
Preheat your oven to 390F/200C/gas mark 6. Steam the asparagus using the method described above (but for no more than six minutes). Allow them to cool. Wrap one or two spears in a slice of ham. Place the wraps in a casserole dish in a single layer.
Fry the chopped onion in a little oil until it is softened, but not coloured, then stir through the cheese sauce. Pour the sauce mixture over the ham and asparagus bundles. Bake in the oven until brown on top – usually about 20 minutes.
There are no farmers’ markets this weekend. The next are in Victoria Square, Droitwich, on Saturday, June 6, from 9am-2pm and on Sunday at Royal Worcester Porcelain from 10am- 2pm. For more information about farmers’ markets, log on to wfmg.co.uk
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