White Asparagus

Right about now the Germans are going gaga over white asparagus-- it is “spargel”

(asparagus) season. Actually it is white asparagus season in many European countries. Many of us only know the limp white spears we see in jars or cans; they are fine on a salad, but the fresh ones, while a bit expensive, are popping up in our markets now. For a real treat grab the first fresh bunch you see.

Although white asparagus are prized for a mild flavor and good looks, they also are known for their health benefits. Besides being high in Vitamins A and C, white asparagus are said to be good for the body’s filtering system. According to Wolfgang Gaertner of Berlin, some people eat them daily as a “cleansing cure.” Gartner laughed as he tried to explain this delicately: “As it affects the body’s liquid drainage system, it is quite obvious from the odor who’s been eating white asparagus.” This fact has been independently verified.

White asparagus grow in sandy soil and are the same variety as their green relatives - but the mounds have been covered to keep out the sun to prevent them from producing the chlorophyll that produces that gorgeous springtime green. Although our good buddy Kermit the Frog, says “it’s not easy being green,” for asparagus apparently it is. Helga Barebendreier, from Hamburg, says it is quite a sight to see fields of white asparagus. “You don’t see the asparagus at all, just mounds upon mounds of black plastic ‘igloos.’ The shoots never see the light of day until they are harvested.

The typical way to eat them is with melted butter or a Hollandaise sauce. It is it is traditional for Germans to eat asparagus with plain boiled potatoes and some salty meat, like Black Forest ham or schnitzel, explains Gaertner. His instructions are straightforward: “They are never cut, but left whole. You pierce the end of the stalk with a fork and bring them to your mouth and chew in sections until the very end.”

Cut about a thumbs-length off the bottom of the spear and peel from just under the tip.

If you have an asparagus pot, Ron Savenor, owner of Savenor’s Market on Charles Street in Boston suggests tying some twine around the bunch just under the head and another bit of twine just a few inches from the bottom. Fill the pot to just over half with water and a tablespoon of sugar. Add some lemon juice. If you don’t have an asparagus pot, use a sauté pan. Cook about 10 minutes or until just tender. Save the cooking liquid for use to make a Hollandaise sauce.

The asparagus that are available locally are now from Peru. Mark ---, the extremely helpful produce team leader at the Bread and Circus on River Street in Cambridge, says he usually has them on hand. But that is not the case at all Whole Foods stores. At other branches we were told that they can be ordered. Before making menu plans around white asparagus we suggest calling the market.

Let white asparagus take center stage at your table. With a glass of dry Riesling and some crusty bread you have a springtime meal that is light and satisfying.

“Guten Apetit!”

Shopping sources

Savenor’s Market
160 Charles Street
Boston
617-723-6328

Whole Foods
340 River Street
Cambridge
617 876-6990

Recipe

Wolfgang’s White asparagus in cream sauce - serves 2

1 bunch white asparagus
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt

Water to cook

For the sauce:

1 tablespoon flour
2 tablespoons butter
1 - 1 ½ cup asparagus cooking liquid
¼ cup white wine
¼ -1/2 cup heavy cream
1 egg yolk
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Rinse asparagus and cut off about a thumbs-length from the bottom of the spears.
2. With a vegetable peeler, peel asparagus carefully. (You can reserve the peels to make a stronger base for the sauce).
3. In a pan that will hold the asparagus in a single layer bring about one inch of water to a boil. Add sugar, salt and vinegar.
4. Cook for 10 minutes at most. Remove to a plate.
5. Reserve liquid about 1 cup.
6. In the same pan, melt the butter and add flour and mix until smooth for about one minute.
7. Slowly add the reserved asparagus broth. Continue to stir until sauce thickens.
8. Add the wine and cream stirring constantly. Simmer for one minute. Lower heat
9. Place egg yolk in a small bowl. Add a little of the warm white sauce to the egg yolk and mix well.10. Slowly add the egg yolk to the cream sauce, mixing thoroughly. Cook another minute or two. Add more cream if the sauce is too thick. Pour over asparagus and serve immediately.

Here's the flip side to holiday tradition

LEXINGTON -- Bleary-eyed souls are making their way to the Battle Green. A shot rings out. The all-volunteer army is spurred into action. Ready, aim, flip!

Did you think only the British were coming? The other great Patriots Day tradition in this historic town is pancake breakfasts. Next Monday, hungry hordes who waited for hours to see the reenactment of the "shot heard 'round the world" can mount their assault upon local venues for breakfast.

With thousands of people milling around, there is plenty of business for civic organizations that have for decades used this cousin to the church supper as fund-raisers. Patriots Day pancake sales -- the stack costs between $4.50 and $6 but don't forget that includes the sausages, coffee, cocoa, and juice -- help support a Boy Scout troop and fund social action projects for church and fraternal organizations.

The largest is held at St. Brigid's Church. According to Scout Master Hank Manz, Troop 160 serves about 1,500 people around 4,000 pancakes, 3,000 sausages, and 15 gallons of syrup. The first volunteer Scouts and parents show up at 3:30 a.m. No pancakes are made in advance. With three 4-foot-square grills going simultaneously and several line-flippers, the hot pancakes make their way to the waiting crowd through the efforts of "pancake expediters." Manz says they recruit "tall people with good balance for this job." Fourteen-year-old Geoff Cooper, as senior patrol leader, is making his debut this year sharing responsibilities for the feeding of 1,500 diners. "Sometimes the line can be very long," says Cooper.

At the First Baptist Church, says pancake organizer Dave Ehlke, "We make our pancakes from scratch with a recipe from our former pastor's mother who is from Ireland." On his shopping list are 100 pounds of flour, 20 pounds of sugar, 240 eggs, and 20 gallons of whole milk. "We get lots of reenactors who come in their costumes," says Ehlke.

Just steps from the battle scene, Church of Our Redeemer parishioner Karen Shragle helps run their pancake breakfast along with two other co-chairs. "When the last shot is fired on the Green, you watch people running in several different directions," says Schragle.

At the Masonic Hall, Marc Reyome presides over the action of the early birds who come before dawn for nourishment and a front row view of the battle between the Minutemen and the British. While their forefathers marched toward Concord and their next skirmish, modern day redcoats make a pit-stop for pancakes.

Pancake breakfasts in Lexington are held between 6 and 10 a.m. (some doors open at 5:30 a.m. if there's a crowd) at St. Brigid's, 2001 Massachusetts Ave.; Church of Our Redeemer, 6 Meriam St.; First Baptist Church, 1580 Massachusetts Ave.; Masonic Hall, 1 Harrington Road (corner of Bedford and Hancock streets).


Amy Dixon's Irish pancakes 4/14/2004

If you don’t like the idea of sitting down to pancakes at dawn with several hundred people, make your own—or host a pancake party later in the morning. Keep the pancakes warm in 200-degree oven, covered with foil. This recipe comes from Brian Dixon, former pastor of the First Baptist Church in Lexington, who got it from his Irish mother. For really light pancakes, add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to the batter, a hint some packaged mixes suggest. The dry ingredients make 5 cups. Here are instructions for using the dry ingredients in two proportions. Use 3 cups to make 23 pancakes, 2 cups to make 15 pancakes.

FOR THE DRY INGREDIENTS

3 3/4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cream of tartar
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 tablespoon salt

1. In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Blend well with a whisk.
2. Measure 2 cups or 3 cups and store leftover dry mixture in an airtight jar in the pantry.

WITH 3 CUPS OF DRY INGREDIENTS

3 cups dry ingredients
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
Butter (for the griddle)

WITH 2 CUPS OF DRY INGREDIENTS

2 cups dry ingredients
2 eggs
1 cup milk
Butter (for the griddle)

1. In a large bowl, stir the dry ingredients with a whisk.
2. In another bowl, combine the eggs and milk and stir well. Add the egg mixture to the dry mixture, stirring until all liquid is incorporated. Bubbles will start to appear.
3. Let the mixture rest for about 30 minutes.
4. Heat a griddle or nonstick skillet. Add about 2 teaspoons of the butter. When it begins to foam, use a quarter-cup measure to add batter to the pan. Let the pancakes cook until the undersides are golden and small bubbles appear on the surface.
5. Turn to brown the other side. Serve with maple syrup or fresh fruit.

Simmered tofu gets zesty with sauce and seasonings

Nothing could be simpler than a cake of tofu simmered in a light broth. The Japanese dish Yudofu is the very definition of simplicity in both preparation and presentation. Condiments of grated ginger, a sprinkling of katsuo (bonito) fish flakes, and finely cut rings of scallions not only add to the spare beauty of this dish, they also provide the zing. Traditionally this dish is served from a simmering pot atop the table. Diners place tofu in their own bowl and choose their toppings, which are stirred into a sauce made from soy sauce, dashi (bonito fish stock), and mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine).

Not only does tofu absorb the seasonings it is graced with, but it also takes on the season. When the weather turns warm, this warm dish changes like a chameleon and is served icy cold, to refresh body and palate.

Tofu -- made from soy beans, spring water, and a coagulant -- is a great source of non-animal protein and is available in most local supermarkets. Packaged tofu, like Nasoya, has come a long way as far as taste, but for a real treat try to find the fresh tofu available at all Asian markets. Blocks of tofu sit in large baths of cold water and are scooped into a container for you. One popular manufacturer in Cambridge is Chang Shing. They sell from their factory at 35-37 Rogers St. and also have their product in most of the Asian groceries. If you do not use the tofu all at once, make sure you change the water daily. Try to finish the tofu within two-three days of purchase.

Tofu comes in many varieties. For this dish, firm is the preferred consistency. Yoshiko Furukawa, the owner of Yoshinoya's on Prospect Street in Cambridge, refers to them by their Japanese description: kinu-silk (soft) and momen-cotton (firm). Yoshinoya, a Japanese specialty food market for 43 years, has a refrigerator case that boasts a large selection of tofu. Furukawa has endless patience and is only too happy to explain cooking techniques and share recipes. She gets fresh tofu daily. At $1.59 a block, that is a lot of nutrition power in a small package.

You don't need a special Japanese pot to make this dish. Cook the tofu on the stove and bring it steaming hot to the table in a covered dish. Serve with Japanese rice and freshly made cucumber and crab viniagret salad and you have a great but simple meal.
Bon Appetit -- or as the Japanese would say, "Itadakimasu!"

Shopping sources

Yoshinoya, 36 Prospect St., Cambridge, 617-491-8221

Chang Shing, 35-37 Rogers St., Cambridge, 617-868-8878

Super 88, 1095 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, 617-787-2288


Yudofu (simmered tofu) 4/8/2004

Most of these items are available at Bread and Circus, but one field trip to a Japanese or Asian grocery and you are sure to find everything. Serves 2.

2 cakes of tofu (firm)
4 cups water
1 4-inch strip of kelp (dried seaweed)
1 tablespoon peeled, freshly grated ginger
4 tablespoons bonito flakes
4 scallions, finely chopped into rings
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 cup dashi -- bonito fish stock
1 tablespoon mirin, sweet rice wine, or sugar

1. Set a pot of cold water on the stove. Wipe the kelp clean and place it in the water.
2. Cut the tofu block into 4 to 6 pieces. Set gently in the water.
3. Bring the liquid to a simmer. Heat gently. This takes about 8-10 minutes.
4. In a small pot, make the dashi according to instructions on package.
5. Add soy sauce and mirin (or sugar), and heat through. Place in small pitcher.
6. Place the grated ginger, bonito flakes, and scallions in three small serving bowls.
7. Remove the kelp and discard.
8. Each diner receives a bowl and adds a few tablespoons of the warm sauce.
Note: You can either add the seasonings to the sauce and then the tofu or put the tofu in the bowl and then sprinkle on the seasonings. . . . Bonito flakes are shavings of the dried bonito. They add a briny depth to the dish. They come in multiple small packets in a package or loose in a bag. . . . Dashi comes in many forms. A small jar of granulated dashi is the most convenient. A few teaspoons for 1 cup of boiling water is sufficient. . . . Shitake mushrooms (fresh or reconstituted) and Chinese cabbage, quartered, can be added to the simmering liquid to make a more substantial dish.