Fresh-harvested domestic asparagus is as flavorful and affordable as it gets.

Bonus: Asparagus has just three calories per medium spear, and contains no fat or cholesterol.

It’s also nutritious:

 
The season runs through June, so dig in. May is National Asparagus Month.

Below:

> Delicious asparagus recipes.

> Beyond green: purple and white asparagus.

> Tips on purchasing and preparing asparagus.

> Do you need an asparagus pot? Tips on purchasing and preparing asparagus.

> The year’s 95+ vegetable holidays.
 

[9] Asparagus can be enjoyed warm, or chilled like vichyssoise. Here’s the recipe (photo © Julia Hartbeck | Taste Of Home).
 
 
YUMMY ASPARAGUS RECIPES

Enjoy asparagus every meal of the day!
 
Breakfast & Brunch

 
Lunch

 
Dinner

 
First Courses & Sides

 
 
A BRIEF HISTORY OF ASPARAGUS

Asparagus officinalis was first cultivated more than 5,000 years ago in the eastern Mediterranean region. The oldest reference shows the spring vegetable on an Egyptian frieze dating to 3000 B.C.E.

 
Asparagus is a perennial plant, raised in furrowed fields. It takes about three years before the plants produce spears that can be harvested. The spears are cut by hand when they reach about 9 inches in length.

The delicate asparagus plant needs a temperate climate and requires much hand labor in all phases of cultivation; hence, their higher cost.
 
 
BEYOND GREEN: PURPLE & WHITE ASPARAGUS

White asparagus is a special treatment of conventional asparagus, grown for its color.

The spears must be grown under a layer of topsoil or in the dark without exposure to sunlight. Light would engender photosynthesis and the development of green chlorophyll. The growing technique was developed in France in the mid-1600s.

If you come across fresh white asparagus and want to see if the extra cost is worth it, steam them with a bit of salt and taste their nuances before adding butter or another ingredient. You may or may not find a difference worth the money. Never buy bland, canned white asparagus.

Here’s more about white asparagus as well as purple asparagus, a breed that is larger, sweeter and tastier than the conventional green types of asparagus.

Purple asparagus was originally developed in Italy by farmers in the Albenga region of the Italian Riviera. It was first commercialized under the variety name Violetto d’Albenga.

Purple asparagus retains its color if cooked briefly (blanching, quick sauteing), but reverts ti green with prolonged cooking.
 
 
ASPARAGUS PURCHASE & PREPARATION
 
 
Buying Asparagus

Look for firm stalks of uniform width and a minimum amount of woodiness at the end. It doesn’t matter if they’re thick or slender: both are equally tender. But you need uniformity of size to cook them evenly.

The tips should be tightly closed. Once they begin to separate, it means that the asparagus is older and won’t have the best fresh flavor. If your tips have begun to wilt, soak the spears in an ice bath before cooking.

Vegetables wilt when they dry out. You can restore the moisture with an ice bath: Fill a bowl with water with ice cubes. Add the vegetables (cut as you plan to use them) and let them sit for 15 minutes or longer. Remove with a slotted spoon or tongs and drain on a cloth or paper towel and they’ll be crisp.
 
 
Preparing Asparagus

Asparagus can be boiled, grilled, roasted, steamed, tossed into soups and stews, and eaten raw as crudités.

Most cooking instructions tell you to hold a spear of asparagus in both hands and bend it until it snaps at its natural break point (which is 1-2 inches above the base). That produces rough, uneven bottoms.

We simply trim them with a knife as far as the green portion goes.

Other instructions tell you to peel the surface of the bottom quarter if they are woody. We don’t have this problem, even with the thickest asparagus. But if you’ve trimmed the white bottoms and still are concerned about woodiness, here are two options:

[2] We serve these asparagus-bacon bundles as a first course (this also works with green beans). Here’s the recipe (photo © Food Network).

[3] Burrata salad With steamed asparagus, prosciutto, and grilled or toasted bread at Barbuto | NYC.

[4] Ham and asparagus rolls with blue cheese, another special starter. Here’s the recipe (photo © Castello USA).

[5] Lovely with a glass of wine: asparagus and pickled red onion crostini on a base of hummus or bean dip (photo © Nestlé USA).

[6] Do you need an asparagus steamer? See the answer in the *footnote below.

[7] We often serve a grilled rack of asparagus with lamb chops or steak. Here’s the recipe (photo © California Asparagus Commission).

[8] Linguine With Asparagus and Parma Ham (here’s the recipe from Il Consorzio del Prosciutto di Parma).

 

[9] In addition to the familiar green asparagus, specialty stores carry the white and purple varieties. Purple tends to be sweeter and fruitier than green, milder and slightly less grassy. However, unless eaten raw or steamed very lightly, the cooking heat will turn it green! White asparagus has a more delicate, slightly bitter, less vegetal, earthy flavor. The skin tends to be tougher and more fibrous, so it’s usually peeled before cooking (The Nibble | Gemini Photo).
 
 
Cooking Asparagus

Boiled Asparagus: Bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil, then gently tip in your prepped asparagus. Boil for 2 minutes or until the asparagus are bright green and al dente. Take them out and lay it in a single layer to cool. Top with chopped hard boiled eggs and herbs for a light lunch, or puree with a little green garlic for a simple pasta sauce.

Grilled Asparagus: Asparagus will slip through the grill if you don’t use a vegetable basket or skewers. We actually like the skewer technique, which creates a rack of asparagus. Simply skewer four or five medium or thick asparagus together, brush with olive oil, season to taste, and cook on a hot, preheated grill Preheat grill for high heat for 2-3 minutes per side (depending on thickness), or to desired tenderness.

Before you add the oil, however, use the ice bath technique described above. When the asparagus come off the grill, they’ll be moist and crisp.

Raw Asparagus: After trimming, use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin below the spear. We like to slice it thinly on an angle to create ovals, to add to salads and grain bowls, but you can also peel it into delicious ribbons. Reserve the tips of the asparagus and mix them in with the rest!

Roasted Asparagus: Heat the oven to 400°. Toss prepped asparagus on a parchment-lined baking sheet with a glug of olive oil and a large pinch of salt and roast for 5 minutes or so—until crisped at the tips and slightly browned.

Steamed Asparagus: Simply steamed fresh asparagus at peak flavor is so delicious, that we find it needs no embellishment—no salt, balsamic drizzle, butter, lemon juice or another seasoning beyond a pinch of salt. It requires just a quick engagement with a steamer or microwave) to be ready to eat. (See the *footnote for different steaming methods.)

As an added flavor accent, if you have a bottle of balsamic glaze or balsamic cream, bring it out!
 

[10] For brunch, lunch, or a first course at dinner, this asparagus-mushroom frittata is a delight. Here’s the recipe (photo © Taste Of Home).
 
 
WHERE DOES OUR ASPARAGUS COME FROM?

Asparagus is a spring vegetable, with peak season in the U.S. from May through June.

Per the USDA, U.S. growers produce some 60–70 million pounds of asparagus per year, mostly in Michigan, California, Washington, and New Jersey.

There is consumer demand for asparagus year round, both in-store and in restaurants. Because the U.S. consumes far more asparagus than it grows, most asparagus eaten in the U.S.—an estimated 80%–90%—is imported, mainly from Mexico and Peru. In 2021, the USDA reports 665 million pounds of asparagus were imported.

For U.S. fresh asparagus, the domestic season runs from January to late June or early July. According to Produce Business:

 
For the U.S. fall/winter season, fresh asparagus is supplied mainly by imports, especially:

 

[11] A field of asparagus (photo © Hochdaler | Pixabay).
 
 
________________
 
*The dedicated asparagus pot, tall and narrow, designed to stand the spears upright, is based on the idea that the tips cook faster than the tougher stems, so standing them upright lets the stems boil while the delicate tips steam above the water line. In practice, most people find the difference negligible—especially since modern asparagus is often thinner and more uniformly tender than the thick stalks of yore that inspired the special pot. Unless you cook asparagus often and care deeply about the specific texture difference, here are five ways to cook asparagus with the pans you already have:

> Skillet/sauté pan: Add ½ inch of water to a wide pan, bring it to a simmer, add the asparagus, cover, and steam for 3–5 minutes.
> Pot with a steamer basket. A standard steamer insert works perfectly. Just keep the water below the basket level.
> Microwave it. Wrap asparagus in a damp paper towel or place it in a microwave-safe dish with a splash of water and cover. Microwave for 2–3 minutes.
> Blanch it. Drop it in boiling salted water for 2–3 minutes, then transfer to an ice bath to stop cooking. Great if you want a bright green color.
> Roast it. Many cooks actually prefer roasted asparagus. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast at 400°–425°F for 10–15 minutes. You’ll get a slightly caramelized, nuttier flavor that steaming won’t provide.
.
 

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

INTRODUCTION TO THE WEDGE SALAD
 
Back in the 1950s and 1960s, restaurant menus offered hearts of lettuce salad with creamy dressings. The head was cut into quarters and plated with a slice of tomato for color.

Homemakers were fans, too.

 
The lettuce’s crunch was very popular if bland-tasting (solution: lots of dressing!). The heads kept longer in the fridge, so there was no wilted waste.

Even James Beard was a fan, recommending mixing the crisp leaves with other greens.
 

[5] Iceberg lettuce is prized for its long shelf life in the refrigerator compared to other leafy greens. It was developed in 1894 as a solution to long distance transportation issues, when other types of lettuce would wilt. See more in the ‡footnote (photo © Vika Emerson | Pexels).
 
Then came the California cuisine movement, introducing us to better varieties of lettuce. Iceberg was mocked for lacking flavor and nutrition.

Instead, foodies filled their shopping carts with romaine plus arugula and radicchio. Those with access to specialty greengrocers could get butterhead lettuce (Bibb, Boston), Little Gem (miniature romaine), and leaf lettuces (green leaf, red leaf, oak leaf, and the hard-to-find lollo rosso [a subcategory of red leaf]).

Yet, hardy, crunchy iceberg still accounts for 70% of the lettuces raised in California (down from 80% in the mid-1970s, however). It’s still popular in food service (commercial, institutional), at salad bars, and at casual restaurants.

And thanks to the retro food movement of the past decade, iceberg lettuce has returned to restaurant menus beyond the steakhouse, in the hearts of lettuce salad now known by a trendier name: wedge salad.

Let the wedge salad add fun and crunch to your meals. If you have a daily dinner salad, feature the wedge once a week. Turn it into a DIY salad buffet for family and guests. An ingredients list is below.

May is National Salad Month, June 24th is National Wedge Salad Day, and October 18th is National Blue Cheese Day.

Below:

> The history of iceberg lettuce and the wedge salad.

> How to create a DIY wedge salad bar.

> Homemade blue cheese dressing recipe.

> Wine pairings with blue cheese.

> The different types of lettuce.

> The year’s 14 lettuce holidays.
 
 
Elsewhere on The Nibble:

> The history of blue cheese.

> The different types of cheese: a photo glossary.

> Great American-crafted blue cheeses.

> More about the blues.

> The history of cheese.

> The year’s 40+ salad holidays.

> The year’s 30 cheese holidays.

> The history of blue cheese and blue cheese dressing.

> Point Reyes Farmstead’s famous blue cheese dressing and dip recipe.

> More uses for blue cheese dressing.

> How to toast nuts.

[2] BLT and avocado wedge salad with. Here’s the recipe (photo © Applegate Natural & Organic Meats).

[3] While some people use ranch dressing on a wedge salad, the original dressing is blue cheese. Here’s the recipe from Foodie Crush (photo © Foodie Crush).

[4] The ubiquitous head of iceberg lettuce, also known as crisphead or head lettuce. Just quarter it for your wedge salad.

At THE NIBBLE, we’ve added a lot to the simple wedge salad. Call it a DIY, customized, or signature wedge salad, it’s a fun munch. At the end of the list, there is an ingredients for 8 servings.

The Must Haves

 
Nice Additions

 
For A Main Dish

 
Garnishes

 
Wedge Salad Ingredients For 8 Servings

We’re hardcore blue cheese fans, but not everyone loves it. Provide an alternate dressing, such as ranch or Thousand Island.

 

[7] Ingredients for the best blue cheese dressing (photo: The Nibble).
 
 
RECIPE: BLUE CHEESE DRESSING OR DIP

Our first tip: Buy a decent blue cheese: Gorgonzola, Roquefort, whatever. It’s the major flavor component. You don’t need to buy the very finest; but don’t go for the cheapest unless you can taste it first, to see that it’s up to par.

This recipe is from Point Reyes Farmstead, a California dairy whose blue cheeses are out of this world.

You can mix the crumbles in with the parsley after the base has been blended, or serve them separately in a ramekin.
 
Ingredients For Approximately 2-1/2 Cups

 
Preparation

1. PULSE the mayonnaise, blue cheese, buttermilk, shallot, lemon zest and salt in a food processor or blender to make a chunky dip and dressing.

2. STIR in the parsley and season with plenty of pepper.

3. USE immediately or refrigerate in a tightly sealed container for up to 3 days. You’ll love it.
 

[8] The best-known blues, from left to right: Cabrales (Spain), Danablu (Demark), Gorgonzola (Italy), Maytag Blue (USA), Point Reyes Blue (USA), Roquefort (France), Stilton (England). They may look similar, but each is different. If you’re a lover of blues, how about a tasting party? Wine pairings are below (photo: The Nibble).
 
 
WEDGE SALAD WINE PAIRINGS

These wines were selected to go with blue cheese dressing, but you can use them with others as well. Blue cheese is the most demanding of the dressings.

Because blue cheese is high in salt, fat, and “funk” (the mold Penicillium roqueforti), you need wines that can either provide a big contrast—sweetness—or match the blue’s intensity—high tannin or high acid.

If you want to host a tasting with the blues we’ve shown above, consider a wine from each group:

 
Serve the wines slightly chilled—even the reds—as the cold temperature is another contrast the rich, room-temperature cheese.

Add Some Nibbles. Include a tray with walnuts, dried figs, sliced baguette and honey, and other bites. See the †footnote below.
 
Sweet Wines With Blue Cheese

The saltiness of blue cheese and the sweetness of dessert wine is a world-class pairing—much like salted caramel. This is the “gold standard.”

 
 
Oxidative Wines

Oxidative* wines will appear to connoisseurs or those with adventurous palates. Their nutty, salty notes mimic the complexity of the blue veins.

 

[9] Set up a wedge salad bar with different types of wine (photo: The Nibble).
 
 
ICEBERG LETTUCE & WEDGE SALAD HISTORY

The crisphead (iceberg) lettuce variety is relatively new in the history of lettuce cultivation (see the different categories of lettuce, below).

Crisphead lettuce was a mutation: A grower discovered a different-looking, sweeter-tasting head of lettuce in his field.

Liking its flavor and superior crispness, he teamed with other growers to breed it to be even better. Thus was born what we today call iceberg lettuce.

The new variety became a top seller and remains so. It was called crisphead, its given varietal name, until the 1920s. It subsequently acquired the name iceberg because of its ability to be transported for long distances when packed on ice.

Before the iceberg named settled in, it was also called cabbage lettuce, for its resemblance to cabbage. In 1894, a Burpee seed catalog exclaimed, “There is no handsomer or more solid Cabbage Lettuce in cultivation.”

Numerous varieties of crisphead were developed, including varieties with reddish leaves tinged with green and varieties with scalloped edges. While they did not enter the mass market, you can still buy the seeds from specialty sellers.

Now about the wedge salad:

Period cookbooks, newspapers, and culinary reference books date the popularity of iceberg lettuce salads to the 1920s.

But the general consensus is that the wedge salad with creamy dressing became a ubiquitous menu entry in the 1950s. [source]

Who served the first “hearts of lettuce salad,” as it was then called?

Likely it was a steak house, given the popularity of that type of restaurant in the 1950s and the [still] ubiquitous presence on those menus. But as with so many things, we can only give credit to “an unknown cook.”
 
 

[10] Hundreds of varieties have been bred from the four basic types of lettuce: butterhead, iceberg, leaf, and romaine (photo: The Nibble).
 
THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF LETTUCE

There are four basic types of lettuce: butterhead (photo #5), iceberg (photo #5), leaf (photo #6), and romaine (photo #7), along with hundreds of hybrids bred from them.

Iceberg Lettuce: Also known as crisphead lettuce, iceberg is the most popular type of lettuce in the U.S. It’s the crispest and hardiest of lettuce varieties, lasting twice as long in the fridge as long as most other varieties. The downside: It’s not as flavorful or nutritious as other lettuces. Batavia, also known as French crisp and summercrisp, is another member of the crisphead sub-category.

Butterhead Lettuce: Comprising Boston and bibb Lettuces, these are small, loosely formed heads of soft, supple leaves. Boston is a larger and fluffier head than bibb; bibb is the size of a fist, and sweeter than Boston. Both are excellent for lettuce cups. The leaves are sweet and tender. The downside: They’re highly perishable and bruise easily, and are pricier than iceberg and romaine. Buttercrunch lettuce is also a member of the butterhead category.

Leaf Lettuce: Also known as looseleaf, cutting or bunching lettuce, this category does not form a head. Instead, the leaves branch up from a single stalk. The leaves are very tender and are often seen in baby lettuce blends. The burgundy tint of red leaf lettuce and the spicier, nuttier oak leaf lettuce add charming color to a mixed green salad. The downside: Leaf lettuces are more perishable than head lettuces and wilt easily. They are used mainly for salads.

Romaine Lettuce: Second in crunchiness to iceberg lettuce, romaine, also called cos, is a stalk lettuce that grows in upright stalks. The crunchy center ribs make the leaves sturdy, and they have a pleasant bitterness. Romaine is used mainly for salads and sandwiches, and is the lettuce used in Caesar Salad. When the outer leaves are trimmed, the smaller ones (sold as hearts of romaine) can be used as “boats” to hold protein salads (egg, chicken, tuna, etc.). Cos is the European term for romaine.

Summercrisp Lettuce: Also called Batavian or French crisp lettuce, this variety falls midway between iceberg and leaf lettuces. They are very crisp like romaine, but sweet and juicy, without bitterness (photo #9, below). The shape of the summercrisp plant is initially open, much like a loose-leaf lettuce. It then matures into a heavy, compact bunch or head.

Stem lettuce: Also called celtuce, celery lettuce, asparagus lettuce, or Chinese lettuce (among other names), stem lettuce is grown primarily for its thick stem rather than for its leaves (photo #8). The stalk is used in Asian cooking (primarily Chinese), as well as stewed and creamed dishes. It can also be shaved into ribbons for a salad. In a salad, the leaves are indistinguishable from other lettuce. The stems are traditionally stir-fried in Sichuan cooking. Prized for its woody stem, which looks like a thick asparagus stalk or wasabi root, celtuce has a nutty, cucumber-ish flavor. The stem can grow to 10-12 inches in length.

Non-lettuce: Garden lettuce belongs to the aster or daisy family (Asteraceae), the genus Lactuca, and the species L. sativa. We’d be remiss not to mention great greens that are not in the lettuce family: arugula, Asian greens (bok choy, mizuna, tatsoi), chard, chicory/escarole/radicchio, dandelion, endive/frisée, greens (beet, collard), kale, mâche, spinach, and watercress, among others.

Most of these fall into three botanical families:

 
 
THE YEAR’S 14 LETTUCE & RELATED HOLIDAYS

 
Plus:

 
_____________

*Oxidative wines have been deliberately exposed to oxygen during the winemaking process. Oxygen has a big impact on wine as it ages and if used improperly it can be a flaw. Oxygen is the enemy of most wines, dulling the flavors and leading to premature aging. It there’s too much of it during the winemaking process, or after bottling, the wine can become oxidized (not oxidative), a major flaw.

But deliberate exposure to oxygen during aging creates a distinctive category of dessert wines generally referred to as oxidative or rancio (in Spanish). The leading examples are Sherry, from Spain; Madeira, from the island off Portugal; and the vins doux naturels from Maury and Banyuls in the Languedoc region in France; Marsala from Italy; and Port from Portugal. There are also non-fortified oxidative wine styles like Vin Jaune from France’s Jura region.

These wines are intentionally exposed to oxygen and wood to develop rich, nutty, and dried fruit flavors.
 

[11] Obsessive connoisseurs can take their blue cheese pairings down to specific nuts, whose flavor profiles best complement the specific cheese (photo: The Nibble).
 
†Nuts to serve with the wines: Yes, if you’re the ultra connoisseur, you can actually pair nuts to different styles of blue cheese.
> Hazelnuts’ (filberts) earthiness make them a companion for Danablu or Stilton. Toast them first.
> Macadamias, with the highest fat content, pair with the most aggressive, sharpest blues like Cabrales.
> Marcona almonds, buttery and sweet, are perfect with Gorgonzola Dolce and Point Reyes Blue.
> Pecans, especially candied, spiced, or toasted, are the sweetest nut, just right for Roquefort and Maytag Blue.
> Pistachios, with their almost floral and slightly piney flavor, are great with herb-forward or grassy blues like Cashel Blue (Ireland), Rogue River Blue (Oregon, USA), and Valdeón (Spain).
> Walnuts are the classic pairing with Stilton (along with a glass of Port); the earthiness of the nut skin perfectly mirrors the minerality of Stilton. But walnuts are quite versatile: with Gorgonzola Piccante, and the Americans Maytag and Point Reyes. For crumbly blues, serve dry-toasted walnuts to keep that firm, crunchy, and slightly astringent contrast. With milder, creamier blues like Cashel Blue or Gorgonzola Dolce), consider wet walnuts. Just mix the walnut pieces with honey. Delicious!

‡Iceberg lettuce was developed in 1894 by the W. Atlee Burpee & Company of Pennsylvania, and introduced in their seed catalog as a groundbreaking “crisphead” lettuce. It was developed from French Batavia crisphead varieties. Burpee promoted it to growers for its ability to produce solid, crunchy heads, even in the hot summer sun of California—a significant improvement over heat-sensitive lettuces. While some stories suggest the name “iceberg” originated in the 1920s when train cars full of lettuce were packed with crushed ice—looking like “floating icebergs”—the name appears in Burpee’s catalog of 1894. Burpee chose the name to highlight the lettuce’s “ice white” interior and crystalline, crunchy texture. By the mid-20th century, iceberg had become the most popular lettuce in the U.S. due to its success in being shipped long distances from California to the East Coast without wilting, and its long shelf life in-store and at home once it arrived.
 

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

Every week new products arrive at THE NIBBLE. Most are good if not noteworthy. Some are so good that they become part of our personal shopping list.

In alphabetical order, here are five favorites of the last few weeks:

1. CAVA GRILL MEDITERRAEAN DIPS & SPREADS

Cava Grill, a casual Mediterranean restaurant chain with locations on the East Coast an California, is now selling a dozen of its popular dips and spreads. You can find them at Whole Foods Markets and other specialty markets (here’s a store locator).

Choose from:

 
One of our favorite light dinners is to serve as many varieties as we want with fresh pita, accompanied by a lettuce salad with bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, red onion, vinaigrette and chopped fresh herbs; capers and olives optional.

Or, uncork some wine and invite friends and neighbors for a wine break.

See the whole line at Cava.com.
 
 
2. LACTAID MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP ICE CREAM

Ice cream is one of our favorite foods, and every day we bless Lactaid for an excellent (and well-priced) line. Every flavor is a winner.

We recently had our first quart of Lactaid Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream, and it’s the best supermarket mint chocolate chip ice cream we can recommend: truly refreshing, with lively mint flavor and toothsome chunks of chocolate.

You don’t have to have lactose sensitivity to enjoy Lactaid dairy products. The cottage cheese, ice cream and milk taste just like any other quality products. (Lactaid dudes: We need cream cheese and sour cream, too.)

The only difference is that a minute amount of lactase, the natural enzyme that helps people digest milk products—is added. You can taste it; no one would know the difference.

Check out the other Lactaid ice cream flavors. Salted Caramel Chip is another must-try.

 
 
3. NESTLÉ DAMAK CHOCOLATE BARS WITH PISTACHIOS

The Damak brand of chocolate was established in Turkey in 1933. Turkey is the world’s third largest producer of pistachio nuts (after Iran and the U.S.), and the bars, in milk or dark chocolate, are packed with the nutritious little nuggets.

The 2.82-ounce square-ish bars are something not readily available in the U.S.: pistachio chocolate bars at the suggested retail price of $2.49. The name, pronounced DUH-mok, is Turkish for “taste.”

Nestlé, which now owns the brand, has committed a million dollars to teach Turkish pistachio farmers more effective agricultural techniques to improve and increase harvests.

See more at NestleDamak.com.
 
 
4. NOOSA YOGHURT

Noosa has been one of our favorite yogurt lines since it first popped up in the U.S. via Australia, where yogurt is spelled with an “h” (see our review).

Each new flavor the brand introduces is better than the last (although the Mexican Chocolate Yoghurt has yet to be topped on our personal list).

New flavors this season:

[1] Cava Grill Mediterranean Dips (photo Cava). [2] Nestle Damak pistachio chocolate bars (photo Nestle). [3] Lactaid Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream (photo Lactaid). [4] Nonni’s Limoncello Pistachio Biscotti (photo Nonni’s Foods). [5] Orange-Ginger, one of three new Noosa Yoghurt flavors (photo Noosa).

Nonni’s, the nation’s leading biscotti baker, salutes spring with two new limited-batch flavors.

 
The biscotti are a softer style that are easy on the teeth, and are individually wrapped for grab-and-go.

Check out the entire line at Nonnis.com.
  

[1] Beef and sausage ravioli lasagna. [2] Pumpkin ravioli lasagna (both photos courtesy Taste Of Home). [3] An even ravioli top (photo courtesy Oxmoor House). [4] Adding the layer of frozen ravioli (photo courtesy Design Mom).

March 20th is National Ravioli Day.

We like ravioli in any form, but have been especially delighted with ravioli lasagna.

Bless the person who first thought of the trick of using cooked ravioli instead of lasagna noodles. (Alternatively, you can use penne or other tube pasta, but ravioli supplies added filling.)

What looks like a complicated recipe couldn’t be easier when you use frozen ravioli (no cooking required) and store-bought pasta sauce.

Prep time is 25 minutes, bake time is 40 minutes.
 
RECIPE: RAVIOLI LASAGNA

We adapted this recipe from one by Patricia Smith for Taste Of Home.

The recipe uses sausage or cheese ravioli and adds ground beef. But you can make vegetable ravioli, chicken ravioli, or anything you prefer. Here’s another Taste Of Home recipe for (here’s the Pumpkin Ravioli Lasagna (scroll down).

You can vary the recipe any way you like. For example:

 
Ingredients For 6-8 Servings

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 400°F. Cook the beef over medium heat in a large skillet, until it is no longer pink. Drain.

2. LAYER in a greased 2-1/2-quart baking dish: 1/3 of the spaghetti sauce, 1/2 of the ravioli, 1/2 of the cooked beef, and 1/2 cup cheese. Repeat the layers. Top with the remaining sauce and cheese.

3. COVER and bake for 40-45 minutes or until heated through.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF RAVIOLI

China gets the credit for inventing not only strand pasta—thin chow mein noodles like Italian angel hair, chow fun noodles like Italian linguine, chow fun noodles like Italian pappardelle, and stuffed wontons like Italian ravioli.

Some food historians believe the name “ravioli” derives from the old Italian word riavvolgere, to wrap.

Others believe that the dish was named after a renowned 13th-century chef named Ravioli, who lived in the Republica di Genova (a.k.a. Genoa, today the Italian region of Liguria).

The record on him is scant, but according to DeLallo Authentic Italian Foods, Chef Ravioli is credited with the invention of the stuffed pasta composed of two layers of thin pasta dough with a filling sealed between them.

Interestingly, the Venetian Marco Polo, who brought the concept of stuffed pasta back from China, had subsequently become a soldier in Venice’s war with Genova. He was taken prisoner by Genova in 1296 and released in 1299, to return to Venice [source].

We don’t have dates for Chef Ravioli, but might he have heard about the stuffed wontons via someone who heard it from Polo? Given how scant the record is on the chef, we can say with almost-certainty that we’ll never know!

Here’s much more on the history of ravioli.
 
  

March 16th is National Artichoke Hearts Day, but today, the first day of spring, we take on the whole fresh vegetable, a spring arrival.

The artichoke is actually a large flower bud. If left in the field, the fuzzy choke in the center becomes the blossom (photo #3), which is supported by the thick, spiny leaves.

The familiar globes are harvested prior to flowering (photo #4).

The outer leaves, heart, and stem of the artichoke are equally (and similarly) tasty. The toughest outer leaves and the choke (the light, fibrous section on top of the heart) are discarded.

A history of artichokes is below…

> As are more artichoke recipes.
 
 
RECIPE: STEAMED ARTICHOKES

Artichokes can be braised, fried, grilled, roasted, or stewed; but to cook a whole artichoke, the technique is to steam.

The process is actually very easy. All you need is a large pot and a steaming tray. Serve them as a first course, hot or cold, with your choice of dipping sauce.

Our pasta pot fits six large artichokes. We like them large, as you get more to eat with the same amount of effort.

While many retailers chop the stems off, we look for those with the longest stems. Surprise: The heart grows from the stem, and the stem tastes like the heart. Don’t throw them out: Enjoy them!

Some people peel the stems first, as they do with asparagus. We find that most do just fine with some extra steaming. As a hedge, you can cut the stems and steam them separately, in case they need some extra time in the pot.

Finally, artichokes have traditionally been served with the melted butter (with hot artichokes) and aïoli or vinaigrette (hot or cold artichokes), we find that most steamed vegetables are delicious without anything else.

A large artichoke (162g, 5.7 ounces) has just 76 calories.

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. PEEL off some of the tougher outer leaves. While some people undertake a severe removal, we recommend steaming more leaves rather than fewer. Steam the artichokes until you can easily pull off one of the outer leaves, and taste it. If it’s soft enough to scrape off with your teeth, you get more artichoke!

2. With scissors, snip off the thorny ends of the leaves. This is the most time-consuming part of the preparation. (Our colleague Ruth, the consummate crafter, uses pinking shears.) With a sharp knife, cut the off top center of the globe—the small, thorny leaves that are inside the large ones.

3. CLEAN by placing the globes upside-down in a large bowl of water with the lemon juice (to prevent browning until you’re ready to cook them). Parsley stems also prevent artichokes from browning (another reason to save those stems in the freezer). You do this part in advance. When ready to steam…

4. FILL the pot with water up to the bottom of the steamer basket, and add a tablespoon of salt. Place the artichokes in the stem side up. This enables the steam to get into the interior leaves, and allows you to test for doneness.

5. COVER the pot and bring it to a boil. Steam until the heart (the bottom of the artichoke where it connects to the stem) is tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife, and inner leaves pull out easily, 25 to 35 minutes. Check in the latter half of steaming and add more water to the pot as necessary.

6. SERVE hot or cold with a ramekin of melted butter or vinaigrette and a lemon wedge. Garnish with fresh herbs as desired.

If the bottoms of the globe are level (i.e., no protruding stem), you can stand them up on a plate for presentation. Otherwise, present them on their side.
 
 
A BRIEF ARTICHOKE HISTORY

Artichokes are members of the thistle family native to the Mediterranean region, that are cultivated as food.

They were bred from their lesser-known cousin, the cardoon (photo #5). The familiar globe artichoke, Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus, is a variation of Cynara cardunculus, the cardoon.

Cynara is a genus of thistle-like perennial plants in the sunflower family. Cardoons are long, edible stalks that are similar in flavor to the artichoke stalks. The tops and flowers are also very similar. The difference is that the artichoke has an edible heart within the leaves on top.

Artichokes were first cultivated thousands of years ago in Maghreb, the region of North Africa west of Egypt, where they still grow wild. They spread throughout the Mediterranean.

[2] Steamed whole and served with aïoli. Here’s the recipe (photo © Fine Cooking).

[3] In the field, artichokes grow on long, thick stems (photo © Frieda’s Produce).

[4] A flowering artichoke (photo © Sierra Flower Finder).

[5] Cardoons, which look like celery (but are no relation), are the predecessor of the globe artichoke. There is no heart; the stem is what’s eaten (photo © Fine Cooking).

 
Ancient Greeks and Romans considered artichokes a delicacy and an aphrodisiac. In the ensuing centuries, they were grown in Italy, France and other areas of Europe.

They were among the fruits, vegetables, and animals brought to the New World by colonists. Martha Washington’s Booke of Cookery contains a 17th-century recipe entitled “To Make Hartichoak Pie.” In the early 1800s, French immigrants settling in the Louisiana Territory planted artichokes.

In 1922 Andrew Molera, a landowner in the Salinas Valley of Monterey County, California, leased land to Italian immigrant farmers and encouraged them to grow the “new” vegetable, as artichokes were fetching high prices. [Source]

Artichoke lovers: Give thanks to Mr. Molera for the popularity of artichokes in the U.S.
 
 
MORE ARTICHOKE RECIPES

Spinach and artichoke dip is one of the most popular dips in the U.S., so it’s surprising that we can’t find information on its origin. If you know it, please let us know.

Our mom recalls that in the 1950s or 1960s, a recipe appeared on packages of dry soup mix and possibly a sour cream container.

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