Native cooking

 

Last updated 5/12/2015 at 9:08pm



Dear Nidobak,

I do believe we have made it through another nasty, hard, mean and clingy winter with our optimism still in place! There are still a few foods that are universal, rather than Native and specific to one area or the other. Honey is one, onions another and asparagus. Asparagus is still a mystery as to its origin, though it is now a beloved symbol of spring worldwide. We planted it years ago in a deep trench with neutral soil and it is still producing, although not enough, so we supplement with store bought to have enough for our large family.

People like it either fat stalked or pencil thin; we’ll take it any way it comes. I usually steam it and serve it on buttered toast with a sprinkle of cider vinegar. My mother made it this way and since we have Mother’s Day coming, it seems right to top this with an egg or two poached on top. Delicious, too.

Whether you forage your asparagus or buy it on sale, it can’t hurt to make a little extra. These I use in omelets, soups, fritters, quiche and even cold, cut diagonally in a salad. Excellent in a quiche using a purchased crust for a quick midweek supper with a green salad, bean or beet salad, all good!

Another way to enjoy asparagus is as an appetizer. Steam it until it is just slightly bendable yet still firm. Then wrap it with a thin slice of prosciutto and present on a tray or plate of antipasto with olives, cheeses, marinated peppers and artichokes.

Spring into summer this year with gratitude and hope that next winter will set a record as the mildest!

 
 

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