Asparagus Time

 One of the best aspects about asparagus is that it's so tasty and versatile you can do anything and everything with those stalks. They're good in both hot and cold dishes.

Regular contributor Melissa Clark wrote about this symbol of Spring in today's New YorkTimes Food section. I am a big asparagus fan so this article intrigued me. I am set in my ways, preferring the family recipe of steamed stalks drenched in metle butter and heavily dusted with Parmesan cheese. Ms. Clark take ti a step furter. She gives recipes for soup ,grain bowl  and a pasta.These recipes usually appear in her kitche now - mid May. She takes the first batches and just sears them in a buttered pan or steams them until they're that bright verdant color. However they also work in a velvety soup that also has spinach and leek added to it. There's also fennel and garlic to give it flavor while the addition of zucchini gives it more green. The base is vegan, with four cups of vegetable broth being added. Olive oil is included for a silkier feel.Spinach leaves and fronds along with cilantro are added for decoration.

Salad lovers may enjoy the apsparagus  raw and shaved into ribbons. You do have to soak the stalks in cold water which curls the strands into an ethereal tangle. Keep in mind this is good topping any kind of salad or dish. Season with scallions and sesame.Ms. Clark scatters them over a savory asparagus and mushroom grain bowl, redolent with different grains and jammy eggs (this is a cross between a hard boiled and soft boiled egg).Minced ginger and garlic give the bowl some bite along with soy sauce and tamara and gochugaru . If this is a bit spicy then think pasta. Ms. Clark pairs asparagus with feta and frozen green peas for a Spring-y fresh flavor. Greek yogurt makes up the base of the sauce.It's also a very garlicky sauce with seven cloves being used. (you can probably decrease it to four if you don't want a strong flavor) Use a short pasta like hsells, capaannelle, orrichiete or fusili. Bowls of it are then drizzled with olive oil and topped with scallions . 

it's asparagus season. Create thiese dishes to enjoy the stalks' earthy sweetness. All are perfect in highlighting this Spring staple.