May is National Asparagus Month – and the asparagus is at its best at the moment if my lunch was anything to go by!
There are some notable areas for growing asparagus – the Vale of Evesham, Worcester and here in Kent we also get very good crops. Lunch today came from further afield – from J Allens farm in Norfolk – but delicious even though it has travelled a few more miles to reach my plate.
There are 3 types, purple and white which is more popular in Europe and green which is the main UK variety.
It’s at its best when the tips are closed and eaten as soon as it has been picked. You’ll also get the most of its nutritional benefits then too as Asparagus is a good source of fibre, and it is also rich in vitamins (A, B and C) and folic acid.
- I prefer my asparagus simply prepared – with a large knob of butter and some Himalayan Pink Salt – but that’s not the only way to eat it and here are three more ideas which are simple to prepare and cook in your Thermomix TM5 or 31:
Asparagus lightly steamed (in the Varoma of course!) with Butter - Served with Soft Boiled Eggs (Eggs cooked in internal steaming basket and asparagus in the Varoma)
- With Hollandaise Sauce (Page 250 in the TM5 Basic Cook Book and on the Recipe Chip)
and - Asparagus TM5 Thermomix Soup – remember that you can use all of the stem when preparing soup in the Thermomix.
If you’ve not tasted this years’ crop get – you’d better get a wiggle on. The British season is short, running just from May to June.
Helen Kendall-Tobias
Independent Thermomix Advisor and Team Builder, Kent UK
M07725 576472