In Season

Why not try cooking the foods that are in season? Because nearly every fruit and vegetable is growing somewhere in the world in any given month in hot houses, it is difficult for some of us to understand exactly what “in season” means. If you are in doubt, there are a number of good cookbooks that organize the recipes seasonally. Web sites of local farms and farmers markets contain colorful charts of seasonal vegetables. And books dedicated to only vegetables or fruits make good reference materials in planning healthy meals. By connecting with your local farmers, you will quickly learn what is in season.

In our household, spring means asparagus and to celebrate spring we usually make an asparagus soufflé, asparagus risotto, or a pasta primavera. But cooking fresh asparagus doesn’t need to involve an elaborate recipe. One of the benefits of cooking with produce in season is that the flavors are at their peak and therefore, require little enhancement or long-term cooking - the simpler the better.



Asparagus can be prepared in a number of ways: steamed, broiled, grilled and sautéed. Steaming takes very little time: Rinse the asparagus spears and snap off the ends; Cut the spears into two-inch lengths on the diagonal; boil about a half inch of water in the bottom of a saucepan and add an expandable steamer (you can buy these in any grocery store) to hold the pieces; Cover and steam for two minutes or until the asparagus is bright green and slightly soft; Drain and briefly rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process; Drizzle a tiny bit of extra-virgin olive oil, squeeze a bit of lemon, grind some fresh pepper over all and serve.