Show of hands…do you know where the asparagus capital of the country is? I figured it would be in California or a southern belt state but I was wrong. It’s Oceana County in Michigan! A large amount is also grown in the San Joaquin Valley in California as well. Both locations host an annual Asparagus Festival which could be a lot of fun to experience. Oceana County hosts theirs in June and San Joaquin Valley hosts theirs in April. Next time you’re in the area at the right time, check it out and let me know what you think.
We didn’t eat asparagus much growing up. I’m not quite sure why. My dad talked about how hard his mom worked to get all the dirt out before making it when he was a kid. He said if you don’t get all the dirt out, it’s gritty and gross. Maybe that’s why, he viewed it as a lot of work. Looking back, asparagus was on the menu mostly at fancy restaurants, weddings or other dressed up affairs.
A catered dinner in the ultra sexy world of garage doors is how asparagus made its way to our dinner menu!
As I’ve said before, Mark is a picky eater. The list of approved vegetables is short. When we were first married, I could count approved vegetables on one hand. Thankfully it’s longer now.
He called me from a garage door event proudly proclaiming that he ate a new vegetable and liked it. “You’ll never guess what I ate tonight” kinda thing. I knew it wasn’t broccoli or spinach or cauliflower or “insert almost any vegetable here”. I was truly surprised when he said asparagus. Totally came out of left field. Never in a million years did I think he would try or even like it. Fast forward to the next Sunday afternoon while I was meal planning and making the grocery list and I asked what he wanted for dinners this week. His answer was asparagus. Huh? You could have knocked me over with a feather.
We’ve had asparagus cooked in various ways over the years but his favorite way is sautéed with olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes. I’m sure we are breaking with proper asparagus protocol but we use most of the stalk. Hey, if he wants to eat more than just the tips, I’m all for it! I like that it cooks quickly, so while he’s working the grill I can work the stove. This ease of cooking makes it great for the RV.
Because of my dad’s remark about getting the dirt out, I rinse them and especially the tops really well. Then I bend a stalk until it breaks and use that as the guide to cut the rest of the bunch. Sometimes we leave the stalks long and sometimes we cut them in pieces.
Mince some garlic and saute it in olive oil for a minute or two on medium high heat then add the asparagus. Saute for about minutes until the texture you prefer. Mark likes it done with a little crunch. Not crunchy like a potato chip but he definitely does not like it mushy.
About half way through, sprinkle as much red pepper flakes as you’d like.
This night we paired the asparagus with thin cut pork chops and a salad. Fast, healthy and best of all, delicious.
Sauteed Asparagus
- Asparagus
- 1 or 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- Red Pepper Flakes
Rinse the asparagus. Bend one stalk until it breaks and use that as a guide to cut the rest of the bunch. Leave long or cut into smaller pieces, whichever you prefer.
Heat skillet then add olive oil and garlic. When hot, add asparagus and red pepper flakes. Saute about 10 minutes, until bright green and tender.