It’s summer and that means time for grilling!  Grilling asparagus is an easy thing to do and I love it because it really brings out the flavor of this delicious vegetable.  Just toss with some olive oil and salt and pepper.  Try some balsamic vinegar either while tossing or sprinkling on just before serving.  Place on a hot grill and just keep “rolling” them til they are slightly charred on all sides.  Use a tongs to place on and off the grill.

Grilled asparagus are great hot or cold.  They are a healthy snack that you can just grab cold out of the fridge.  I like to eat them with my hands.  They can make an easy appetizer or the perfect side dish.

Asparagus is a member of the Lily family. Asparagus spears grow from a crown that is planted about a foot deep in sandy soils. Under ideal conditions, an asparagus spear can grow 10″ in a 24-hour period. Each crown will send spears up for about 6-7 weeks during the spring and early summer. The outdoor temperature determines how much time will be between each picking…early in the season, there may be 4-5 days between pickings and as the days and nights get warmer, a particular field may have to be picked every 24 hours. After harvesting is done the spears grow into ferns, which produce red berries and the food and nutrients necessary for a healthy and productive crop the next season. An asparagus planting is usually not harvested for the first 3 years after the crowns are planted allowing the crown to develop a strong fibrous root system. A well cared for asparagus planting will generally produce for about 15 years without being replanted. The larger the diameter, the better the quality! Asparagus is a nutrient-dense food which in high in Folic Acid and is a good source of potassium, fiber, vitamin B6, vitamins A and C, and thiamin. Asparagus has No Fat, contains No Cholesterol and is low in Sodium.

This entry was posted on Monday, July 23rd, 2012 at 2:55 pm and is filed under Food/Recipes, General Blog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.