The Age of Asparagus

Asparagus has personality. Tall and lanky, slightly stooped and sometimes sinewy, I imagine asparagus would be an ultramarathoner in his later years. He’d be extremely strong, wise and somewhat quirky. Asparagus has some healthy stories to tell. The tall vegetable is a super-low-calorie source of folate, fibre and antioxidants. Just six spears have 135 micrograms of folate, almost half the recommended daily intake. Folate plays a key role in taming the amino acid homocysteine, which is closely related to excessive meat intake. With high homocysteine as a major factor in heart disease, B vitamins like folate are an important element in reducing heart disease risk. Add to that asparagus’ two grams of soluble fibre per serving and potassium, which helps control blood pressure, and asparagus’ heart protection qualities rate high among the vegetable family.

Green asparagus stalks also contain anti-aging antioxidants. Vitamin C and a good dose of beta carotene help slow aging, aiding collagen production and maintenance to keep cells robust and running smoothly. Appropriately, glutathione is also part of asparagus’ constitution. It works to keep vitamin C working efficiently and is also showing promise in the race against cancer. Asparagus is one of the richest sources of the bioflavonoid rutin, which along with vitamin C helps energize the immune system and may reduce inflammation. Compared to quercetin and other bioflavonoids, rutin is one of the strongest. But most impressive in asparagus’ health-promoting arsenal is its vitamin A. With all the vitamin A you need in a day, one cup of asparagus is a cancer and age-fighting addition to your dinner plate.

RECIPE

Asparagus with poached egg, fiddleheads and morels

Asparagus, fiddleheads and morels are all native to the area near Chelsea, Que. They impatiently push up and out of the spring soil at about the same time each year. The deep woodsy flavour of the honeycombed morel and the bracing vitality of asparagus and fiddleheads partner naturally. The rich, sauce-producing egg yolk and the inimitable nuttiness and natural salt of the Parmigiano Reggiano and pancetta also make this a distinctive spring treat. The fact that a fiddlehead is an unfurled fern (fougère) also means that using fiddleheads in the springtime has a special significance to us here at Les Fougères.

20 asparagus spears

16 fiddleheads, well cleaned

1/4 cup of butter

8 fresh morels, sliced in quarters lengthwise

8 slices pancetta (optional)

4 eggs

¼ cup white vinegar

4 oz. Parmigiano Reggiano

To taste:

Extra-virgin olive oil

Aged balsamic vinegar

Fleur de sel

Fresh ground pepper

Steam asparagus and fiddleheads until tender. Toss in butter and season with a little bit of salt and pepper.

Optional:

Render pancetta slices in a pan with a little bit of olive oil until crisp. Remove pancetta slices and set aside. Add sliced morels to pan with rendered pancetta fat and sauté until mushrooms are thoroughly cooked. If not using pancetta, simply sauté the mushrooms in a touch of olive oil, until thoroughly cooked.) Bring 2 litres of water to a rapid boil in saucepan. Add white vinegar to the water. Carefully break the eggs into the water. When water returns to a boil, turn off heat and leave the eggs in the water for 2 minutes. Once cooked, strain the softly poached eggs with a slotted spoon.

To serve: Arrange hot asparagus, fiddleheads and morels on 4 plates. Place an egg on top of each, then garnish with Parmigiano Reggiano, the crisped pancetta slices (optional) and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar. Garnish with a sprinkling of fleur de sel and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Nutrition info:

Calories: 394

Carbohydrates: 7

Fibre: 1 g

Protein: 21 g

Fat: 7.7 g

Sodium: 390 mg