What’s in season in May? 4 ingredients to cook with right now
Nothing screams spring like asparagus. To start, it’s one of the first vegetables to be harvested in the season, making it an essential ingredient to enjoy fresh. It’s one of the few sources of aspartic acid, which, along with glutamic acid, is responsible for the vegetable’s savory, umami flavor. And it’s available in two varieties: white and green. The former is grown underground and flaunts a more bitter and sweeter flavor profile, while the latter is grown above ground and is grassier in taste.
“For me, asparagus is just an incredible item to work with because it’s high in fiber and nutrients and super easy to cook. It doesn’t take a lot of time to process,” Beitchman explained. “I think all those things make it an outstanding vegetable and it can be used as an appetizer, a side dish, a snack, or a component in a sandwich. There are all kinds of ways that it can be layered into food.”
Asparagus can be thrown into risotto or pasta to add a hint of meatiness. It’s also delicious steamed with a poached egg and hollandaise sauce.
“Asparagus is oftentimes associated more with Western or European style cooking,” Beitchman said. “But it has a great affinity for flavors like garlic, ginger, sesame and soy. Pairing those flavors in a quick sauté or a sauce to marinate after grilling or before grilling is a really nice way to bring out a whole other flavor profile.”
When it comes to preparing asparagus, Beitchman suggested using a knife when trimming the ends of each spear. “It’s fairly true that if you bend an asparagus tip, it’s going to crack at its most perfect spot, and you’re going to wind up with an inedible portion on one side and the edible portion on the other side,” she said. “I find that by doing that, you wind up losing a lot of the edible portions.”
“It’s better to use a knife and trim off maybe about an inch worth of the bottom. I always love to peel the bottom ends of the spear. I find that it really helps bring out some of that sweet, buttery interior asparagus portion. It’s also a really elegant way to serve it.”