Enjoy a colorful asparagus frittata for
breakfast or lunch. Photo courtesy California
Asparagus Commission.

We steam fresh asparagus stalks to al dente, so tasty they don’t even require butter (but maybe a squeeze of lemon or lime juice or a pinch of seasoned salt, like Fusion flavored sea salts, or our favorite imported saffron salt from Casina Rossa).

Steamed asparagus are a dieter’s delight—just 27 calories per cup, lots of dietary fiber and high or very high in 15 vitamins and minerals.

Asparagus also work into impressive recipes. Here, we present 11 recipes—something for every meal of the day—courtesy of the California Asparagus Commission.

• Start by reading the history of asparagus (the ancient Greeks and Romans loved them!), along with asparagus shopping tips and cooking basics.
• Then, dig in to the recipes.
• Find more of our favorite vegetable recipes in our Gourmet Vegetables section.