Monday, June 28, 2010

Fast Food








(get it?)

What to do with all that asparagus

Well, folks, living in Michigan has many benefits, not the least of which is the spectacular annual asparagus crop.

Of course, the season doesn't last terribly long, so it's a challenge to find some variety in the ways one prepares those tasty spears. In addition, when two people shop for groceries, the vegetable drawer can end up with more asparagus than might seem reasonable.

So ...

Roasted, steamed, with and without Hollandaise or Bearnaise sauce;
Soups and vegetable stocks;
et cetera;
but ...
why not pickle some? It was actually quite simple to make some refrigerator asparagus pickles. Here's basically what I did:

1/4 - 1/2 C sugar
1/4 - 1/2 C salt
1 C white vinegar
1 C water
1 t dill weed (seed might be good too)
2 t peppercorns (whatever mixture you like)
2 t coriander seeds

Bring that brine to a boil, then let it cool a bit.
Blanch the asparagus, shocking with an ice bath or cold water to stop the cooking.
Cover the spears with the brine and refrigerate overnight.
Transfer to a jar, topping off with what brine will fit.

I imagine this would keep quite a while in the fridge, but it's unlikely that you'll have it around long enough to find out - these things are tasty!