David (Mr. GrowChew) says he’s eaten enough asparagus for a while. I don’t agree, even though we’ve had green spears almost every day for the last week.
Since I like to understand what I’m eating, I look up asparagus in my Whole Foods Encyclopedia, where I learn that asparagus has “good amounts of vitamins A, B complex, C and E, as well as potassium and zinc.” I like the additional comment in brackets, which reads “Given its shape, it is inevitable that asparagus has been considered an aphrodisiac.” Maybe David will reconsider.
The Visual Food Encyclopedia adds folic acid, copper, iron and phosphorus to the asparagus’s nutrients, and only 24 calories per 100g! I also discover that there is a category of purple asparagus, that is harvested when 2-3” high and has a fruity flavor. Is this white asparagus, which has been exposed to light (often the tips of white asparagus are tinged with purple), or truly a different variety?
Not surprisingly, a quick web search answers my question: it is its own variety developed in Italy. Purple asparagus gets its colour from anthocyanins, which are responsible for the red-purple-blue tints of many fruits, vegetables and berries.
But back to the food… In the last week, we’ve had halibut with sautéed asparagus, char grilled asparagus with poached eggs and prosciutto for Mother’s day brunch—yes, David fired up the grill on Sunday morning!—and asparagus risotto. My favourite though was tom khaa kai (chicken, coconut and galangal soup) with asparagus adapted from a recipe in The Food of Thailand.
Recipe: Tom khaa kai with asparagus
Chicken, coconut and galangal soup with asparagus is the perfect sweet, salty, sour, and spicy spring.
The base of my version of this soup is an aromatic chicken broth flavoured with lemongrass, lime leaves, galangal, ginger, coriander, onion, garlic and green chili peppers. I put the aromatics into a pot with a chicken leg, fill the pot with cold water, and let it simmer for 2 hours. Then I strain the liquid through a sieve with a tea towel folded in half, which even captures most of the fat. I freeze extra broth.
To make the soup, I sauté (without browning) 2 sliced chicken breasts and 15 spears of asparagus cut into 1” pieces. As the chicken cooks, I throw in a couple of lime leaves, a red chili, and pieces of lemongrass, ginger and galangal. When the chicken is just cooked, I add a large can of coconut milk and 3-4 cups of the broth. I let the soup simmer until the asparagus is tender. To finish, I remove the aromatics (lemongrass, etc.) and season with 2 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tsp of sugar, and some lime juice (adjust to your taste). To serve, garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
