In its composition, asparagus contains a diuretic, that is, a substance that has an effect upon the kidneys, and that is known as asparagine. Because of the presence of this substance, asparagus is thought to be injurious to those who have kidney trouble, but it need not be avoided except in some forms of this disease.
43. PREPARATION FOR COOKING.--To prepare asparagus for cooking, strip the tiny scales from the sides of the stems by means of a small paring knife. These hold sand and are responsible for the presence of the grit that is sometimes found in a cooked dish of asparagus even when the housewife feels certain that she has washed it as clean as possible. Then wash the stems thoroughly in several cold waters, lifting them out of the water after each washing instead of pouring the water off of them. If the water is poured off the stems, the sand that has been washed from them is likely to remain in the bottom of the pan and mix with the vegetable again.
When the asparagus has been sufficiently washed, it may be used in the full lengths or cut into pieces of any desired length, 1 inch being the size that is usually preferred. If stems are to be cooked whole, it is a good plan to form them into a bunch as when purchased and tie the bunch with a tape or a string. When this is done, the string should, of course, be cut and removed before the asparagus is served. A point to remember about the preparation of this vegetable is that it should always be cooked in boiling, salted water.
44. ASPARAGUS WITH BUTTER DRESSING.--Perhaps the simplest way in which to prepare asparagus is to cook it in salted water and then serve it with a butter dressing. When prepared in this way, it may be served plain, but it becomes more attractive, as well as more nutritious, if it is placed on squares of toast.
For this dish, secure a bunch of fresh, tender asparagus, wash it thoroughly, and then, as desired, cut it into inch lengths or allow it to remain whole. Pour enough boiling water over it to cover well, add salt in the proportion of 1 teaspoonful to each quart of water, and allow it to cook until the stems may be easily pierced with a fork, which in most cases will require not more than from 10 to 15 minutes. The length of the cooking is an important factor with this vegetable, for when it is overcooked its flavor is not so agreeable as when it has had just enough cooking. When the asparagus is done, drain off the water, season with a little more salt and a dash of pepper, and, if it is to be served without toast, add 1 tablespoonful of butter for each bunch cooked, allowing the butter to melt. In case it is to be served on toast, allow a small amount of the liquid in which it was cooked to remain on it, add the butter to this, and, after placing several of the stems or a number of the pieces on the squares of toast, dip a little of the liquid over all.
45. CREAMED ASPARAGUS ON TOAST.--A still more nutritious dish can be prepared from asparagus by combining it with a cream sauce and serving it on toast. The sauce supplies protein and fat and the toast furnishes carbohydrate, substances in which this vegetable is low. Numerous ways of serving this combination may be resorted to, but one of the most attractive methods is illustrated in Fig. 2. As here shown, a small bunch of the stems is slipped through a ring of toast cut by means of round cutters of two sizes. If it is not desired to use toast for this, a ring of lemon rind or pimiento may be substituted, or the ring may be omitted altogether and the stems merely laid in an orderly manner on a square of toast. Also, with this dish, as with the previous one, the asparagus may be cut into inch lengths instead of being cooked whole.
To prepare creamed asparagus, clean it in the manner explained in Art. 43. Then either cut it into inch lengths or allow the stems to remain whole, and cook it in enough boiling salted water to cover it well. While the asparagus is cooking, prepare a medium white sauce. As soon as the asparagus has cooked enough to be pierced with a fork, pour off the water and serve with the sauce in any of the ways already suggested. If the asparagus is left whole, the sauce is poured over it after it is placed on the toast, but when it is cut into small pieces, it is usually combined with the sauce and the creamed vegetable then poured over the toast.
46. SCALLOPED ASPARAGUS.--Another nutritious dish with asparagus as its base is scalloped asparagus. This involves all the ingredients used in creamed asparagus, but to give it still more food value, cheese is also added.
SCALLOPED ASPARAGUS