Spring is nearly here and so is asparagus

Slow Food

Lemon risotto with asparagus and shrimp,
ABOVE, is a nutritious one-dish meal.

By Kristin Frost Albrecht
For The Gazette

Along with the spiky shoots of crocosmia and tiny furled fern heads poking up out of the winter garden, we know spring is nearly here when we see the pointy little spears of asparagus rising out of the earth. Known since ancient times for its medicinal properties as a diuretic, asparagus is also highly prized across world cultures for its delicate flavor and graceful shape.

Asparagus can be easily grown in maritime habitats such as ours, as it thrives in saline soil. A member of the lily family, we can find edible varieties of wild asparagus in marshy areas here along the north Oregon coast.

White asparagus, popular in Europe and also seen in some markets here, is known as spargel and is cultivated by denying the plants light through mounding the soil around the stalks and increasing the amount of ultraviolet light the plants are exposed to while being grown.

Connoisseurs say it is less bitter than the green variety, but I find it oddly bland and somewhat disconcerting with it being purposely grown to lack color.

For those planning their gardens, asparagus is a useful companion plant for tomatoes. The tomato plant repels the asparagus beetle and asparagus repels some harmful root nematodes that affect tomato plants. Asparagus tends to be a labor of love when it comes to being planted in the home garden, as it should not be harvested until two years after sowing. By the third year, the shoots are thick enough to be harvested and the crop continues to yield, but for only a few more seasons. Gardening professionals recommend planting one-year-old asparagus "crowns" at a depth of 10 inches for best results.

While one of my favorite ways to eat asparagus is as finger food - lightly steamed, cooled and dipped into a lemony sauce - I also enjoy it in a myriad of other dishes: stir fried, wrapped in pancetta, and roasted or sliced on the diagonal and tossed with pasta or stirred into risotto. Lemon seems to be the ideal flavor match for asparagus and the following recipe for risotto marries these two along with tiny pink Oregon shrimp in a culinary ode to spring!

Lemon Risotto with Asparagus and Shrimp
Makes 4 main-dish servings
Total time: 45 min

Ingredients
• 3 cups chicken broth (vegetable broth may be substituted)
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 3/4 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 4 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 1/4 cups Arborio rice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 pound fresh Oregon cocktail shrimp
• juice and grated zest from 2 lemons
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Preparation
Bring broth and water to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Add asparagus and simmer, uncovered, until just tender, about 4 minutes. Transfer asparagus with a slotted spoon to an ice bath to stop cooking, then drain. Keep broth at a bare simmer, covered.

Cook onion in 2 tablespoons butter with 1/4-teaspoon salt in a 4-quart heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.

Add rice and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add wine and simmer, stirring constantly, until absorbed.

Stir in 1/2 cup broth mixture and briskly simmer, stirring frequently until absorbed. Continue adding broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently and letting each addition be absorbed before adding the next, until rice is creamy and tender but still al dente (it should be the consistency of a thick soup), about 18 minutes. With the last of the broth, add the lemon juice and zest and stir until liquid is absorbed.

Stir in asparagus, remaining 2 tablespoons butter, parmesan, parsley, and pepper to taste.

Stir in shrimp and cook until just warmed through, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately.

Blanched Asparagus
with Lemon Mayonnaise

This is a great way to prepare asparagus simply and make the most of the fresh tender stalks.

Ingredients
• 1 1/2 pounds thin asparagus, trimmed
• 1/2 cup packed fresh flat-leafed parsley leaves
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, or to taste
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise

Preparation
Prepare a large bowl of ice and cold water. In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, blanch asparagus 1 minute and transfer with tongs to ice water to stop cooking. Drain asparagus well in a colander and pat dry. Asparagus may be blanched 1 day ahead and chilled in a sealable plastic bag.

Wash and dry parsley and, in a blender or food processor, purée with oil, lemon juice and mustard until smooth. Stir purée into mayonnaise and season with salt and pepper.
Serve lemon mayonnaise with asparagus for dipping.