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Market Opener June 1, 2013   
asparagus
Dear Friends,

Welcome to a brand new Antigo Farmers Market Season at the Country Store parking lot, 700 Superior St., Antigo. 
Our Website www.antigomarket.com is up and running and we added a Facebook page under Antigo Farmers Market, Inc. 
During your stay at the market, stop and welcome our market manager Tonya Trabant. 
We expect to offer a good selection of bedding plants and hanging flower baskets. Maple syrup will be plentiful this year. Trout and smoked salmon will make a delicious meal when combined with early spring vegetables. 
We had a very late spring, but hope that some vegetables will be available.  
Asparagus is at its peak already, but we hope for a long growing season making this vegetable available at the market.

All about Asparagus

History 
Asparagus has been used as a vegetable and medicine, owing to its delicate flavor, diuretic properties and more. 
It is pictured as an offering on an Egyptian frieze dating to 3000 BC. There is plenty of documentation of its use in Greek and Roman times. It was hardly noticed in England and Germany until the 16th century. The finest texture and delicate flavor is in the tips. Described as "points d'amour" (love tips) they were served as a delicacy to Madame de Pompadour. It was not until around 1850 that Asparagus became available in the United States.
Nutrition
Asparagus is low in calories and sodium. It is a good source of a number of essential vitamins and minerals and a very good source of dietary fiber. Green asparagus is eaten worldwide. However, in many European Countries, white asparagus is more common and the "asparagus season" is elevated to a yearly special event. To cultivate white asparagus, the shoots are covered with soil as they grow, preventing photosynthesis.

Cooking
Because of its delicate nature, it is best to cook asparagus for a brief time whether you boil steam or grill it. Eaten raw, the flavor resembles that of fresh green peas.

Below is a simple recipe for an elegant side dish.
Storage
To quote Edward C. Smith, author of the Vegetable Gardener's Bible,
"You've got to be kidding. You don't store asparagus, you eat asparagus immediately after cooking or sooner, if you count the spears munched right in the garden."
But if you must store it, wrap it in a damp towel, place in a plastic bag and keep in the refrigerator.
asparagus menu
Photo Bromberg/Hermolin

Asparagus with Sauce Hollandaise

Ingredients

10 spears of green asparagus
3 strips of boiled ham or prosciutto
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Or
1 tablespoon Sauce Hollandaise  

 

Preparation
Bring water to a boil in a wide saucepan, add salt
Cook asparagus spears until just tender
Immediately plunge into cold water
Drain on towel
Wrap 3 or 4 spears each in ham or prosciutto.
Dribble lemon juice and melted butter on spears

If you feel decadent, substitute Sauce Hollandaise for the lemon juice and melted butter.

Sauce Hollandaise
yields about � cups
� cup unsalted butter
3 egg yolks
2 tablespoons lemon juice
� teaspoon salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper

Heat butter to bubbling, but be careful not to brown it. Place remaining ingredients into a blender. Turn motor on low speed and add hot butter gradually. Blend about 15 seconds.

Store leftover sauce in refrigerator. It can be used for a wide variety of vegetables.

Bon App�tit!

 FOOD FROM OUR NEIGHBOURHOOD