Spring Asparagus is here! How are you going to cook it?

[Smithy]

However I make it (something with eggs most common), I collect the snapped off bottoms in the freezer. When I have about a pound I make asparagus pesto, one of my all-time favorite dishes.

Please tell more about this pesto! You're making it from the unpeeled woody bottoms?

[David Ross]

The season is underway here in Eastern and Central WA and we're seeing wonderful asparagus in the markets.  I bought a nice bunch yesterday for $1.99, a good starting price for us in the Spring. I love any dish with asparagus this time of year, but two stand out.  One was a dish of asparagus, morels and sautéed sweetbreads at Daniel Boulud at the Wynn in Las Vegas.  That dining room is long gone but Boulud has a place now at the Venetian.  My other favorite dish is one I came up with-Midori and mint sorbet served with prosciutto-wrapped asparagus.  Sort of my take on prosciutto with melon.

[Okanagancook]

Asparagus soup from Zuni cafe.  Minced pancetta, onions, asparagus, rice and parsley.  Quite not a lotos liquid so quite filling.  Good flavours.  I used some of the small asparagus for the soup.

[Okanagancook]

Meant to say, "not quite enough liquid"  (so much for trying to post in a hurry).  I think I will dilute it with more chicken stock when we eat the other half.  I like the texture of the rice.  Oh, and I used home made pancetta which I think made it probably more "pancettay" than using commercial.

[radtek]

Wow that's a lot of asparagus! 

 

Asparagus fan... asparagus fort... 

 

Can't believe I've been passing on it all spring. 

[Shelby]

Has anyone ever blanched and frozen their asparagus?  What about dehydrating?  Dumb idea?  Rehydrate in asparagus soup??  

 

 

Just curious.

[Okanagancook]

I have made asparagus soup with blanched tips in the pureed soup.  Frozen it then when eaten I found the tips really 'mushy' and they weren't blanched for long so still 'crisp'.  So, now I just made really concentrated asparagus soup thickened with either rice or potato and blended.  Hope that helps.  

[cyalexa]

Please tell more about this pesto! You're making it from the unpeeled woody bottoms?

 

Yes!

 

I cut off and toss just a very thin slice of the bottom. I then bend and snap the stalks and put the bottom portions in a zip top bag in the freezer. When I have collected a pound I make the pesto. This is one sauce that I actually like with whole wheat pasta. It is also good on salmon. 

[Smithy]

Yes!

 

I cut off and toss just a very thin slice of the bottom. I then bend and snap the stalks and put the bottom portions in a zip top bag in the freezer. When I have collected a pound I make the pesto. This is one sauce that I actually like with whole wheat pasta. It is also good on salmon. 

 

Asparagus, olive oil, parmesan, walnuts? pine nuts? lemon?

 

Edit:  I just spotted your recipe for asparagus pesto in RecipeGullet.  Thanks!

[ruthcooks]

Here is one of my favorites: 

 

Cook asparagus.  Hard cook some eggs.  Melt some butter.  Each person takes an egg and mashes it, then keeps mashing as melted butter is added and mashed in.  When the egg will hold no more butter, each person helps herself to some asparagus spears, dips each spear into the buttered egg and alternately dips and eats.  This is finger food and a good dish for luncheon.  Make plenty of everything.  You can cook the eggs on the spot or cook and hold them at room temperature and reheat a few minutes in a dish of boiling or near-boiling water.  Be sure to heat the plates.