Stalking the Perfect Asparagus Spear

Mariel prepping skinny asparagus spears at the Bloomingdale's demo

Here on the east coast, asparagus is in season from April until June, but the peak for slender, pencil-thin spears may have an even smaller window. When I was preparing for the Bloomies cooking demo, asparagus was on the menu, but those gorgeous, slim stalks were difficult to find, while its fatter, less-sweet sister was abundant.

I traveled from store to store, stalking the elusive spear until I eventually landed at Costco. At first glance, it appeared that Costco had come through and that the skinny-mini stalks were available – tucked beneath bags of the regular-sized spears, just out of sight. Unfortunately, the asparagus I sought were locked in a shipping box sealed with heavy, plastic  tape.

Armed with bare hands and an eagle’s eye for prime produce, I broke into that crate and grabbed the goods. I felt like thief, though I did put the crate back neatly, following its directions on the sides, “this end up.” Alas – once in hand, as I fled down the aisles to the checkout lane, I saw that the 4½ pounds of asparagus were thinner, but sadly only marginally better than all the rest.

Stew Leonard's slim spears (alongside wild rice salad)

Determined not to lose, I had one more stop before raising the proverbial white flag – Stew Leonard’s was just a quick hop away. And there, at the very entrance of their store were the-most-gorgeous-ever slender, vibrant, tender spears, ripe for the picking and on sale for 1.99 a pound!

Now, what to do with the less-worthy but already purchased produce? You guessed it, an Asparagus Tart (or maybe you didn’t).  To follow are the first of at least a couple recipes using the more portly asparagus.

The tip of this spear is this: Stout spears make great soup, stock, Risotto sides and Tarts, but for a tender, elegant side dish, whether grilled, steamed, or broiled lean reigns supreme!