Favourite Recipes from Andalucia Life
Asparagus

AsparagusThe asparagus season in the UK lasts for a short 7 or 8 weeks during May and June. We are blessed with a growing season that allows us to enjoy this remarkable vegetable, fresh, for most of the year.

Asparagus is a member of the lily family and the spears grow from a crown. Interestingly the family also includes onions, leeks and garlic. It was first cultivated in Greece about 2,500 years ago and its name is Greek for stalk or shoot. The Romans loved the vegetable and spread it throughout Europe. In ideal conditions a spear can grow 10 ins in 24 hours and a crown will be productive for 7 or 8 weeks. Although you have to wait 3 years before you can take the first harvest a good crown will last 15 years.

After the harvest the remaining spears grow into ferns that produce red berries that feed the crowns, ensuring a good crop next season.

Perhaps the best known fable concerning asparagus is its reputation as an aphrodisiac. This came about in the 17th Century when the herbalist Nicholas Culpepper wrote, for no apparent reason, (the asparagus is known) ‘to stir up lust in man and woman’. It has been popular ever since. Traditionally eaten with the fingers and dipped in butter or hollandaise sauce it can be an erotic eating experience.

For the health conscious, asparagus contains little cholesterol and is low in sodium and has no fat. It contains high levels of vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin E making it great for the skin, nails and hair. It also has iron and folic acid. Folic acid stimulates histamine production so maybe there is something in what Culpepper said after all.

Now that summer has arrived it’s time for lighter meals and what better vegetable to centre a dish on than the asparagus. Here are two recipes for salads, the first is suitable for a starter, the second for a main course.

Asparagus, bacon and poached egg, served with a mustard dressing.

Asparagus, bacon and poached egg, served with a mustard dressing.

Ingredients - Starter for 2

Dressing

Method

Trim the asparagus and steam or plunge into boiling water for 4 minutes.

Combine dressing ingredients and season to taste.

Poach the eggs in a pan of salted boiling water with the vinegar added.

Arrange all the ingredients on a salad plate and drizzle with the dressing

Warm asparagus, chicken and feta cheese served with a red pepper and sweet chilli dressing.

Warm asparagus, chicken and feta cheese served with a red pepper and sweet chilli dressing

Ingredients – Main Course for 2

Dressing

Method

Trim the asparagus and steam or plunge into boiling water for 4 minutes.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the chicken. Cook until golden brown.

Put all the dressing ingredients in a food processor and whiz until blended.

Season to taste.

Arrange all the ingredients on a salad dish and drizzle with the dressing.