They are always available again from April:fresh asparagus from Dutch soil, the white gold. A delicious vegetable that you can eat not only as a main meal, but can also be prepared as a side dish if you want. However, we like asparagus so much (our children don't) that we prefer to serve it as a main course. In addition, asparagus is also very easy to make!
Asparagus is of course also available before April, but these often come from abroad or from the greenhouse or heated ground. As far as I'm concerned, less tasty and since I think seasonal food is important, we only eat the white gold if they come from the open ground. First of all, you will find the necessary asparagus recipes below and I would also like to give you more information about asparagus in general. Because how do you actually peel asparagus easily and how do you best store asparagus in the fridge?
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Asparagus is an age-old and delicious vegetable and is often referred to as “the white gold”. It has a long history and the taste has improved greatly over the years. The asparagus season runs from April to June (depending on the weather) and many people then get back to work with delicious asparagus recipes. Asparagus is a frequently served dish at Easter. Think of a creamy asparagus soup, asparagus as a main course with ham or salmon or even asparagus ice cream!
Asparagus must be fresh in the first place, then they are the tastiest. I always get them directly from the farmer. You can test the freshness of an asparagus in the following ways.
Want to learn how to cook? Check the cooking course by the Cooking University for more information .
Did you know that asparagus is best stored in a damp tea towel in the fridge? Then they stay fresh for a long time, although I advise not to wait too long before preparing the asparagus. The fresher the White Gold, the better the taste.
This is a very important part of serving tasty asparagus. An asparagus must be well peeled. When this is not done properly, hard fibers remain behind and this is not tasty food. And if you are too impatient there is a chance that the asparagus will break, which is a shame, isn't it? Before peeling, it is best to place the asparagus in a bowl of cold water for -1 hour.
Anyone who has ever cooked asparagus especially remembers the sheer amount of work involved in peeling asparagus. At least that's the idea I had about it when I used to see my parents at work. But if you know how to peel them, it's not that bad. And that's a good thing, because I don't want to miss eating delicious asparagus! You can easily peel your asparagus with these asparagus peelers, for example. Or you just buy them peeled, but then you have to feel in the pouch. An asparagus that has been peeled, of course, costs more and has another important disadvantage. You miss the peel and therefore also the chance to make delicious asparagus soup from it.
First of all, peel the asparagus from the head downwards (preferably with such a handy asparagus peeler, but you can also just use a peeler). At the bottom you remove about 2 cm.
You cook the asparagus for more than 10 minutes in boiling water until they are al dente and then let them cook in the cooking water with the fire off. However, I prefer steaming asparagus, which is easier and you avoid putting snotty asparagus on the table at a rapid pace, which is also a bit of a shame. I usually steam the asparagus for about 25-30 minutes and then they are perfect!
I have also been told that you can even prepare the asparagus in the slow cooker. Haven't tried it yet, but definitely do it once and you'll read how it went!
I absolutely love this white gold. I can eat it so much that after two months I am completely done with it. Did you know that asparagus is also very healthy? They stimulate your kidney function and have a positive effect on liver disorders and rheumatic complaints. They also fit very well in a diet and have a diuretic effect. The only drawback is that it will temporarily stink up your pee 😉 .
Traditionally, you eat asparagus with ham or salmon, and of course with eggs. That's why they go so well with Easter. I am a fan of eating this delicious vegetable as naturally as possible. But I would also like to give you some more inspiration for tasty asparagus recipes.
Ingredients for 4 persons:
Boil or steam your asparagus. Boil the eggs hard and crumble to serve as a topping for the asparagus, just like the parsley.
You can of course bake the salmon, but steaming the salmon is also delicious and also very healthy because you do not use any fats at all. Sprinkle with a little lemon juice. If you want to make a healthy, diet-worthy meal, steaming the salmon is an excellent option. Of course you can make a hollandaise sauce if you want. I'm not a big fan of sauces, so I'll skip those. Add pepper and salt to taste.
As indicated, you can make delicious asparagus soup from the peels of asparagus. So don't throw it away! It is best to simply cook the peels in the cooking water in which you cooked the asparagus. Don't feel like making the creamy asparagus soup today? No point. Just leave the peels in the cooking water overnight, so that the flavor can soak in well and you can continue with the soup tomorrow. By the way, it is best if you keep a few asparagus that you have cooked. You can then cut it into pieces and add it to the creamy asparagus soup.
Ingredients for a pan of creamy asparagus soup:
Preparation of creamy asparagus soup:
Tip:If you want you can boil an egg to crumble over the soup, before serving. Add a little fresh parsley, or possibly some ham cubes. Also delicious.
Do you prefer a clear soup instead of a thick soup? Then you can choose to cook the stock with the skins and bottoms. Do not add butter and flour to the whole, but keep the clear soup. To give the soup even more flavor, I add an onion and a mushroom. Also very tasty!
If you would like to put something completely different on the table with the White Gold instead of the traditional recipes, these asparagus muffins might be something for you. I came across this video on Youtube, it's from Betty's kitchen and those muffins look really fantastic! You can also find the complete recipe on her website, check the link.
Another recipe of mine. I told you I love this White Gold 😉 . This time asparagus as an addition to a Quinoa salad. Delicious and handy to use up those few leftover asparagus without having to make another soup.
You can find the recipe for the Quinoa salad with asparagus here.
By the way, if you want to know more about why asparagus is called the White Gold and how they are grown (with all the ins and outs), read this article on Lekkertafelen.
