After a looong winter, it’s almost prime time forspring produce. With her super-green thumbandrecipe prowess, it’s no wonder Martha Stewart has a tip or two about one of our spring recipe MVPs: Asparagus!How to Cook AsparagusWhen Stewart first started avegetable gardenat her Westport, Connecticut home, she planted berries, rhubarb and asparagus, shereveals in the April 2021 issue of our sister publicationMartha Stewart Living. Within two or three years, they were growing so well, “I was convinced that every garden, large or small, should make room for these wonderful plants. Today, my asparagus garden in Bedford is quite large and very productive. Four long rows start sprouting green and purple stalks in April, and continue through most of May,” she says.With an overflowing crisper drawer of fresh asparagus, Stewart has ample practice with a wide variety ofasparagus recipes. So what has she learned along the way? You get the best results with veggies that are “impeccably fresh,” of course, and it’s best to cook only until tender from end to end. (Cutting each spear to the same length can help with this when you’re whipping up a big batch, she advises.)Martha Stewart’s #1 Hack for Fluffier Baked PotatoesThe best asparagus hack of all, however, requires just one additional tool and about 60 seconds per bunch.“If the stems are more than ⅝-inch thick, pare off two to three inches of the bottom skin with a vegetable peeler,” she says. (Stewart designed this Straight Peeler to make the job quick and easy.) “The asparagus will be as beautiful to look at as it is delicious to eat.“Getty Images / Science Photo LibraryTake a peek at the thicker end of each piece of asparagus. If it’s looking noticeably thicker than your index fingerprint, shave down the sides of the spear all the way around to thin it down a bit. But before you toss those shavings, get this: Stewart suggests saving them or any trimmed stalk pieces for soups. Something like thisVegetable Stock with Kitchen Scrapswould be perfect for the antioxidant-rich, naturally diuretic veggie. (ICYMI, here are5 powerful health benefits of asparagus that might surprise you!)Then put the asparagus spears themselves to use in something like our 5-starGarlic-Parmesan AsparagusorAsparagus and Smoked Mozzarella Pizzettes. Or follow Stewart’s lead—she sometimes “just eats a giant mound of the fat greenspears with Hollandaise for dinner.” We’re not mad about that plan, although we’d probably put an egg on it and add a slice of whole-wheat bread. Yum!Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!Tell us why!OtherSubmit
After a looong winter, it’s almost prime time forspring produce. With her super-green thumbandrecipe prowess, it’s no wonder Martha Stewart has a tip or two about one of our spring recipe MVPs: Asparagus!How to Cook AsparagusWhen Stewart first started avegetable gardenat her Westport, Connecticut home, she planted berries, rhubarb and asparagus, shereveals in the April 2021 issue of our sister publicationMartha Stewart Living. Within two or three years, they were growing so well, “I was convinced that every garden, large or small, should make room for these wonderful plants. Today, my asparagus garden in Bedford is quite large and very productive. Four long rows start sprouting green and purple stalks in April, and continue through most of May,” she says.With an overflowing crisper drawer of fresh asparagus, Stewart has ample practice with a wide variety ofasparagus recipes. So what has she learned along the way? You get the best results with veggies that are “impeccably fresh,” of course, and it’s best to cook only until tender from end to end. (Cutting each spear to the same length can help with this when you’re whipping up a big batch, she advises.)Martha Stewart’s #1 Hack for Fluffier Baked PotatoesThe best asparagus hack of all, however, requires just one additional tool and about 60 seconds per bunch.“If the stems are more than ⅝-inch thick, pare off two to three inches of the bottom skin with a vegetable peeler,” she says. (Stewart designed this Straight Peeler to make the job quick and easy.) “The asparagus will be as beautiful to look at as it is delicious to eat.“Getty Images / Science Photo LibraryTake a peek at the thicker end of each piece of asparagus. If it’s looking noticeably thicker than your index fingerprint, shave down the sides of the spear all the way around to thin it down a bit. But before you toss those shavings, get this: Stewart suggests saving them or any trimmed stalk pieces for soups. Something like thisVegetable Stock with Kitchen Scrapswould be perfect for the antioxidant-rich, naturally diuretic veggie. (ICYMI, here are5 powerful health benefits of asparagus that might surprise you!)Then put the asparagus spears themselves to use in something like our 5-starGarlic-Parmesan AsparagusorAsparagus and Smoked Mozzarella Pizzettes. Or follow Stewart’s lead—she sometimes “just eats a giant mound of the fat greenspears with Hollandaise for dinner.” We’re not mad about that plan, although we’d probably put an egg on it and add a slice of whole-wheat bread. Yum!
After a looong winter, it’s almost prime time forspring produce. With her super-green thumbandrecipe prowess, it’s no wonder Martha Stewart has a tip or two about one of our spring recipe MVPs: Asparagus!
How to Cook Asparagus
When Stewart first started avegetable gardenat her Westport, Connecticut home, she planted berries, rhubarb and asparagus, shereveals in the April 2021 issue of our sister publicationMartha Stewart Living. Within two or three years, they were growing so well, “I was convinced that every garden, large or small, should make room for these wonderful plants. Today, my asparagus garden in Bedford is quite large and very productive. Four long rows start sprouting green and purple stalks in April, and continue through most of May,” she says.
With an overflowing crisper drawer of fresh asparagus, Stewart has ample practice with a wide variety ofasparagus recipes. So what has she learned along the way? You get the best results with veggies that are “impeccably fresh,” of course, and it’s best to cook only until tender from end to end. (Cutting each spear to the same length can help with this when you’re whipping up a big batch, she advises.)
Martha Stewart’s #1 Hack for Fluffier Baked Potatoes
The best asparagus hack of all, however, requires just one additional tool and about 60 seconds per bunch.
“If the stems are more than ⅝-inch thick, pare off two to three inches of the bottom skin with a vegetable peeler,” she says. (Stewart designed this Straight Peeler to make the job quick and easy.) “The asparagus will be as beautiful to look at as it is delicious to eat.”
Getty Images / Science Photo Library
Take a peek at the thicker end of each piece of asparagus. If it’s looking noticeably thicker than your index fingerprint, shave down the sides of the spear all the way around to thin it down a bit. But before you toss those shavings, get this: Stewart suggests saving them or any trimmed stalk pieces for soups. Something like thisVegetable Stock with Kitchen Scrapswould be perfect for the antioxidant-rich, naturally diuretic veggie. (ICYMI, here are5 powerful health benefits of asparagus that might surprise you!)
Then put the asparagus spears themselves to use in something like our 5-starGarlic-Parmesan AsparagusorAsparagus and Smoked Mozzarella Pizzettes. Or follow Stewart’s lead—she sometimes “just eats a giant mound of the fat greenspears with Hollandaise for dinner.” We’re not mad about that plan, although we’d probably put an egg on it and add a slice of whole-wheat bread. Yum!
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