Celebrate Asparagus Season with Soup

By Jennifer Knapp
A new video for Video Friday

I have been watching and waiting since the end of February for the first California asparagus to show up at market. Sure, you can find asparagus that's been grown in Mexico any time of the year.

However, I am a San Francisco Bay Area transplant from New England who no longer observes the passing of the years based on fall foliage, the first snowstorm, spring daffodils and humid summer beach days. Instead, I simply enjoy the subtle changes in weather and temperature that allow a year-round growing climate, and I mark the seasons in my kitchen as new fruits and vegetables arrive at the market.

Not only is it better for the environment when you can buy produce that has been grown locally and in season, the flavor can't compare with that which has been shipped thousands of miles.

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It’s Asparagus Season!

By Lori Powell

Spring brings asparagus season and with it the many ways of cooking and serving the lovely stalks. I eat so much of it in season that I have to start pacing myself early on.

The great thing about this versatile veggie is that you can steam, boil, grill, broil or roast it to perfection – just make sure that you don’t under or over cook it.

Asparagus have a natural break in the stem between the tough ends and the tender stalks. To trim, simply snap off the end and it will break in just the right place. Discard the stems or use them to flavor broth or soup; they’re tough, so remove them before serving.

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