41. ASPARAGUS is a vegetable that consists of the shoots of the plant,
which are eaten before the blossoms develop. It grows quickly and is
very tender if the shoots are clipped at just the right time after they
appear above the ground. It comes early in the spring, being about the
first green vegetable that gets into the local market, but its season is
comparatively short. It does not keep long after it is purchased and is
better when it is used at once. If asparagus must be kept for any length
of time, it should be stored in a cool, damp place.
42. In selecting asparagus, it should be remembered that there are two
varieties, one of which is green and the other white. The stems of the
green asparagus should be green to the bottom, and should not be hard
nor woody where they are cut from the plant. However, if a part of the
stems is found to be woody, the hard ends should not be rejected, for
the outside may be peeled off and the center used, or the hard ends may
be cooked with other vegetables for the making of soup. The white
asparagus will have slightly green tips, while the rest of the stem
will be white.
Asparagus is one of the succulent vegetables comparatively low in food
value. It contains, as Table I shows, only one-fourth as many calories
to the pound as potatoes. Its food value, however, may be increased by
dressing it with butter after the vegetable has been cooked or by
serving with it a sauce made with milk, butter, flour, etc. Then, too,
asparagus is sometimes served on toast, which is another means of making
a more nutritious dish out of this vegetable.
In its composition, asparagus contains a _diuretic_, that is, a
substance that has an effect upon the kidneys, and that is known as
_asparagine_. Because of the presence of this substance, asparagus is
thought to be injurious to those who have kidney trouble, but it need
not be avoided except in some forms of this disease. 43. PREPARATION
FOR COOKING.--To prepare asparagus for cooking, strip the tiny scales
from the sides of the stems by means of a small paring knife. These hold
sand and are responsible for the presence of the grit that is sometimes
found in a cooked dish of asparagus even when the housewife feels
certain that she has washed it as clean as possible. Then wash the stems
thoroughly in several cold waters, lifting them out of the water after
each washing instead of pouring the water off of them. If the water is
poured off the stems, the sand that has been washed from them is likely
to remain in the bottom of the pan and mix with the vegetable again.
When the asparagus has been sufficiently washed, it may be used in the
full lengths or cut into pieces of any desired length, 1 inch being the
size that is usually preferred. If stems are to be cooked whole, it is a
good plan to form them into a bunch as when purchased and tie the bunch
with a tape or a string. When this is done, the string should, of
course, be cut and removed before the asparagus is served. A point to
remember about the preparation of this vegetable is that it should
always be cooked in boiling, salted water.
44. ASPARAGUS WITH BUTTER DRESSING.--Perhaps the simplest way in which
to prepare asparagus is to cook it in salted water and then serve it
with a butter dressing. When prepared in this way, it may be served
plain, but it becomes more attractive, as well as more nutritious, if it
is placed on squares of toast.
For this dish, secure a bunch of fresh, tender asparagus, wash it
thoroughly, and then, as desired, cut it into inch lengths or allow it
to remain whole. Pour enough boiling water over it to cover well, add
salt in the proportion of 1 teaspoonful to each quart of water, and
allow it to cook until the stems may be easily pierced with a fork,
which in most cases will require not more than from 10 to 15 minutes.
The length of the cooking is an important factor with this vegetable,
for when it is overcooked its flavor is not so agreeable as when it has
had just enough cooking. When the asparagus is done, drain off the
water, season with a little more salt and a dash of pepper, and, if it
is to be served without toast, add 1 tablespoonful of butter for each
bunch cooked, allowing the butter to melt. In case it is to be served on
toast, allow a small amount of the liquid in which it was cooked to
remain on it, add the butter to this, and, after placing several of the
stems or a number of the pieces on the squares of toast, dip a little of
the liquid over all. 45. CREAMED ASPARAGUS ON TOAST.--A still more
nutritious dish can be prepared from asparagus by combining it with a
cream sauce and serving it on toast. The sauce supplies protein and fat
and the toast furnishes carbohydrate, substances in which this vegetable
is low. Numerous ways of serving this combination may be resorted to,
but one of the most attractive methods is illustrated in Fig. 2. As here
shown, a small bunch of the stems is slipped through a ring of toast cut
by means of round cutters of two sizes. If it is not desired to use
toast for this, a ring of lemon rind or pimiento may be substituted, or
the ring may be omitted altogether and the stems merely laid in an
orderly manner on a square of toast. Also, with this dish, as with the
previous one, the asparagus may be cut into inch lengths instead of
being cooked whole.
[Illustration: FIG. 2]
To prepare creamed asparagus, clean it in the manner explained in Art.
43. Then either cut it into inch lengths or allow the stems to remain
whole, and cook it in enough boiling salted water to cover it well.
While the asparagus is cooking, prepare a medium white sauce. As soon as
the asparagus has cooked enough to be pierced with a fork, pour off the
water and serve with the sauce in any of the ways already suggested. If
the asparagus is left whole, the sauce is poured over it after it is
placed on the toast, but when it is cut into small pieces, it is usually
combined with the sauce and the creamed vegetable then poured over
the toast.
46. SCALLOPED ASPARAGUS.--Another nutritious dish with asparagus as its
base is scalloped asparagus. This involves all the ingredients used in
creamed asparagus, but to give it still more food value, cheese is
also added.
SCALLOPED ASPARAGUS
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
1 bunch asparagus
2 Tb. butter
2 Tb. flour
1 c. asparagus stock
1/2 c. milk
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. buttered cracker crumbs
1/2 c. grated cheese
Clean the asparagus according to the directions given in Art. 43. Cut
it into inch lengths and cook in boiling salted water until it is tender
enough to be pierced with a fork, and then drain. Prepare a sauce by
melting the butter, adding the flour, and pouring into this mixture the
heated stock and milk seasoned with the salt. Put a layer of the
buttered crumbs in the bottom of a baking dish, and pour half the
asparagus over them. Sprinkle the asparagus with one-third the cheese
and add another layer of crumbs. Sprinkle this with one-third the
cheese. Add the remainder of the asparagus and the crumbs and sprinkle
the rest of the cheese on top. Pour the sauce over the entire mixture,
place in the oven, and bake until heated thoroughly and the top is
slightly browned. Serve from the baking dish.
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