Asparagus to delight

Press, 20 October 1987, Page 10

Asparagus to delight

When asparagus appears among the vegetables in shops and markets spring is here. The distinctive bright green spears are available fresh for only a limited time each year, making them all the more sought after. The New Zealand Asparagus Council and the D.S.I.R. have launched a new cookbook containing 70 asparagus recipes adapted especially to suit the New Zealand palate. Asparagus is now at its best. Prices are lower, so we can enjoy it more frequently, whether lightly cooked, buttered, and served with a squeeze of lemon or included in-a fish, chicken, or red meat dish. The booklet broadens the range of asparagus dishes served, and they should suit any diet. Among them are tasty party nibbles, soups, salads, mousses, oriental dishes, rich Italian dishes, quiches and a variety of sauces. For the health conscious, the D.S.I.R.’s food nutritionists have provided a nutritional analysis for each recipe giving calorie, carbohydrate, protein, fat, fibre, cholesterol, mineral, and vitamin contents. Asparagus originated 22 centuries ago in ancient Greece, where it was gathered from the wild and considered to have aphrodisiac qualities. The Roman Emperor Augustus was known to be partial to it, and the Romans re-

garded asparagus '“as a medicinal cure-all. Today asparagus is an increasingly popular vegetable world wide, a rich source of vitamin C, vitamin A, and iron. It is also low in calories, carbohydrate, and fat. One .peculiarity some asparagus eaters observe is a "strong” smelling urine after eating asparagus. This is caused by the breakdown and excretion of methyl mercaptan, a waste sulphur-contain-ing amino acid, the smell of which can only be detected by some people. The ability to smell it is an inherited trait, but not likely to deter the keen asparagus gourmet. The author of the asparagus booklet, Linda Falloon is married to the D.S.I.R.’s asparagus breeder. Dr Peter Falloon spent three years in California developing new and better varieties for New Zealand’s export market. During this time Linda began collecting asparagus recipes;, these formed the basis of this booklet. She has chosen two recipes from the book that she recommends as

being particularly appetising. Oriental Asparagus and Chicken A low calorie, low cholesterol, dish quickly and easily prepared in a wok or pan and served with rice or noodles. You need: ’ y 2 c u P chicken stock 1 Tbs white wine 2 Tbs soy sauce 1 whole chicken breast 2 tablespoons oil 1 clove garlic, crushed 500 g fresh asparagus (diagonally sliced) 2 Tbs cornflour 3 Tbs cold water y 2 tsp salt y s tsp pepper y 2 tsp sugar 2 Tbs toasted sesame seeds Combine chicken stock, wine and soy sauce in a cup and set aside. Skin, bone and thinly ' slice chicken. Heat wok or pan, add 1 tablespoon oil and the garlic. Stir fry 30 seconds. Add asparagus and stir fry 2 minutes. Remove and keep warm. Reheat wok, add remain-

ing oil. Add chicken and stir fry 1 minute. Add chicken stock mixture and cook, covered for 2-3 minutes or until chicken becomes white and opaque. Add asparagus and stir with chicken 1 minute. Blend cornflour and water together, stir into asparagus mixture. Cook, stirring until thickened. Add salt, pepper and sugar, mixing well. Sprinkle sesame seeds over top before serving. Serves 4 to 6. Nutritional analysis/ serving: Calories 183; carbohydratge 9g; protein 14g; fat llg; fibre 2g; cholesterol 20mg. Asparagus Shrimp Salad A delicious, easy-to-make salad which always looks great on the table 500 g shrimp — fresh or frozen, cooked 750 g fresh asparagus, cooked 1 lemon, thinly sliced 1 tomato, halved and sliced y 4 cup sliced spring onion 2 Tbs chopped parsley Herb dressing (recipe follows) Lettuce Combine shrimp, asparagus, lemon slices, onion and parsley in a bowl and cover with herb dressing. Chill salad well, stirring once or twice. To serve, drain well and toss with tomato slices. Transfer to a bowl lined with lettuce. Serves 4. Herb dressing y 2 cup oil

% tsp salt dash cayenne 1 Tbs fresh basil 1 Tbs fresh oregano 4 Tbs vinegar ’A tsp pepper 1 Tbs fresh parsley 1 Tbs fresh chervil Chop herbs finely and combine well with remaining ingredients. Nutritional analysis/ serving Calories 438; carbohydrate 4g; protein 37g; fat 31g; fibre sg; cholesterol 250 mg. Good source of calcium, iron and vitamins A, C, thiamine and niacin. The booklet will be available from early October in bookshops and from asparagus growers, the Vegetable Growers Federation in Wellington or DJS.I.R. at Lincoln at a cost of $5.95 including GST.