The first asparagus of the season
is a special treat. Microwave it
until just tender-crisp. Then, top it
with freshly ground black pepper
and a tiny bit of butter or a sprinkle
of lemon juice.
When you’re tired of asparagus
that way, try it with other ingre
dients and seasonings. It goes well
in countless combinations to make
elegant vegetable dishes and
tempting salads. Try today's
recipes and see. But first, here's a
brief review of basic cooking
directions.
Be cautious about cooking time.
Fresh asparagus, especially thin
spears, can overcook quickly. A
pound of room temperature (or
fresh-from-the-garden) pencil
thin asparagus pieces (three to four
cups) cooks to tender-crisp in as
little as 214 to 3 minutes. Thick
asparagus spears and refrigerated
asparagus need more cooking time
—but not much more. A pound of
medium spears (half-inch diameter
stems) cooks in three to four
minutes. Ideally, asparagus
should be the same thickness for
even cooking. If you can, select
spears from an open bin at your
supermarket or try to pick a pack
age of even-sized spears. When
sorting asparagus from your gar-
Lime application during the winter
allows the limestone time to react and
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MICROWAVE
MINUTES
By JOYCE BATTCHER
den, group thin spears together for
one recipe and thick spears
together for another recipe.
If you don't have the ideal even
size pieces, you can still have
evenly cooked asparagus. For
asparagus pieces, cut the quicker
cooking tip ends slightly longer
than stem ends and be sure to stir
halfway through cooking.
For asparagus spears, arrange
spears correctly before cooking.
Thicker spears and stem ends
should be put towards the outside
edges of the cooking dish. Tip ends
and thin spears should be toward
center of dish. If necessary to even
out sizes, split stem ends that are
thicker than a half-inch.
Add just a small amount of
water and cover the dish tightly,
using plastic wrap or a tight-fitting
lid. Stir pieces or rearrange spears
halfway through cooking. Cook
the minimum time and allow for
continued cooking during standing
time. After a couple of minutes of
standing time, check for final
doneness. If you're adding salt,
sprinkle it on after cooking.
Today's recipes feature asparagus
to serve as a hot vegetable and as a
cold salad. The fust. Asparagus
Spears with Deluxe Orange Sauce,
is a way to serve fresh asparagus in
It's the right time
to apply lime
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a most elegant manner. The fancier
spears are used. (Ends can be
saved for making the salad, aspara
gus soup or for your favorite aspar
agus recipes.) The low-calorie
sauce has a wonderful rich
flavor—almost like a calorie-laden
Maltaise sauce (which is like Hol
landaise sauce, but made with
orange juice and peel). And, it's
very easy and almost fool- proof to
make unlike regular Maltaise
sauce, which can easily curdle.
Second, there's Greek Aspara
gus Salad, a wonderful combina
tion of flavors for a side or main
dish salad. This calls simply for
microwaving the asparagus until
barely tender-crisp and stirring in
other ingredients. If you don't like
Greek flavors, follow the variation
and make California Asparagus
Salad.
And, if neither of these appeals
to you, just microwave fresh aspar
agus according to the hints and
recipes, add a few other seasonings
and enjoy the unique flavor of this
springtime delicacy.
Asparagus Spears with Deluxe
Orange Sauce
VA pounds asparagus (24 to 30
medium spears, about 'A -inch
diameter)
3 tablespoons water
'A teaspoon dried thyme leaves
'A cup plain non-fat yogurt
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
'A cup fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
(optional)
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
Dash ground white pepper and
salt
Orange slices, optional
For prompt delivery contact
your local Martin Limestone
dciJci* or call Blue Ball, Ptu
(800) 233-0205
(717) 354-4125
Rinse asparagus well. Snap off
tough ends and discard. Hold tips
evenly together and cut off bottom
ends so spears are about 6 inches
long. (Save remaining ends for
another use.) Place asparagus in
microwavable 6xll-inch rectangu
lar dish or loaf dish, arranging so
asparagus tips are to center and
stem ends to outside edges of dish.
Add water and thyme; cover with
plastic wrap. Microwave (High) 5
to 6 minutes or until tender-crisp
when pierced with fork. (If neces
sary, re-arrange pieces halfway
through cooking.) Let stand cov
ered while making sauce.
Stir yogurt and flour together
until smooth in a microwavable
4-cup measure; stir in orange juice,
orange peel and butter, if used.
Microwave (High) 3 to 4 minutes,
stirring after each minute, or until
thick and starting to bubble. If
desired, season with pepper and
salt. Drain asparagus and arrange
on serving plate. If desired, garn
ish with orange slices. Pass sauce
to serve over asparagus. Makes 4
to 6 servings.
Each serving—l/6th of recipe:
34 calories.
Greek Asparagus Salad
1 to VA pounds asparagus (16 to
20 medium spears, about 'A -inch
diameter)
2 tablespoons water
'A teaspoon dried oregano
leaves
'/< cup salad oil
'A cup white wine vinegar 'A to
’/* cup pitted small black olives
A to V* cup (2 to 3 ounces)
crumbled feta cheese
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 13, 1991-B5
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt, optional
Rinse asparagus well. Snap off
tough stem ends and discard. Cut
tip ends 2 inches long and remain
ing stems I'A -inches long. There
should be about 4 cups. Place
asparagus, water and oregano in a
microwavable 114 -quart casser
ole. Cover with plastic wrap or lid.
Microwave (High) 3 to 4 minutes
or until asparagus is barely tender,
stirring after 2 minutes. Let stand,
covered, 2 minutes. Do not drain;
stir in oil and vinegar. Cool and
stir in remaining ingredients. Sea
son to taste with freshly ground
black pepper and salt, if used.
Refrigerate several hours for fla
vors to blend. Serve cold. Makes 6
to 8 servings.
Each serving % of recipe:
109 calories. ' California
Asparagus Salad: Substitute
crumbed blue cheese for feta
cheese and crushed dried rosem
ary leaves for oregano. Before
serving, sprinkle with coarsely
chopped pistachio nuts.
Questions for Joyce?
Do you have a question about
microwave cooking? Send it to
Microwave Minutes, % Extra
Newspaper Features, P.O. Box
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Recipes in this column are
tested in 600- and 650-watt micro
wave ovens. With an oven of diffe
rent watt- age output, timings may
need slight adjustment.