How to Eat Asparagus

Last week was A week, so we ate asparagus one night.  I thought it would the perfect time to cover how to eat asparagus.

Manner: Did you know that asparagus is a finger food?

Well, it is, as long as it is not overcooked (limp) or baked with a sauce or gravy.  So go ahead and use your fingers.  It is also okay to discard any parts that are too fibrous.

(The only problem with knowing this manner tidbit is that most people don’t know this, so you may find yourself at a dinner table eating asparagus with your fingers and everyone else will be using a fork and they are going to think that you are the ones with the bad manners.)

Recipe: Since all of my kids will actually eat asparagus, I thought I would include our simple recipe that we use:

1 lb. pencil thin asparagus  (I’ve found that my kids are more likely to eat it if the stalks are thinner)

2 T. melted butter (I have also used olive oil and it’s yummy too)

sea salt to taste

ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Rinse and snap off ends of asparagus. (Just run under cold water and bend towards the end and the stalks will naturally break off where they need to.) Place asparagus in 13×9 dish 1-2 layers thick.  Drizzle butter over the top.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Cover with foil.  Bake for 15 minutes. (It should still have a slight crunch, but not too much.)

Tips: For some great buying, storage, and usage tips on asparagus click here.

And lastly, a shout out to Grandma Pam for introducing us to asparagus and teaching me how to make it.  Thanks to her love of vegetables, asparagus is now a staple in our home.