To my taste buds, asparagus is high royalty in the vegetable kingdom. So what fun to go on a harvesting expedition last week at my CSA farm, Monroe Organic Farm. About 20 members wandered the field, absorbed in spying the green shoots camouflaged among alfalfa and tall grasses. It was almost like a meditation as we intently paced along our assigned rows, birds singing us along in the quiet of a perfect spring morning.
Better yet, we each walked away with 10 pounds of beautiful, rich-tasting field asparagus. So of course I’ve been making everything asparagus. Just last night it was Spring Asparagus Stew with Mushrooms and Onions (recipe below.) Although there isn’t much else in season right now, mushrooms and onions are always readily available and tasty and pair very nicely with asparagus. And this is a light stew, so it’s just right for cooler spring nights.
Asparagus season isn’t long, so don’t miss out! Here are a couple more things I’ve been making; how about adding one into your meal plan for the coming week:
- Salad Nicoise: Spring greens from my garden, steamed new potatoes and asparagus, dried tomatoes, black olives, capers and lemon vinaigrette
- Sauteed Asparagus with Lemon-Tarragon Butter
- Cream of Asparagus Soup (to use up the tougher ends) with sauteed green garlics
- Whole Grain Pizza: spread with cilantro pesto and topped with grilled asparagus, artichoke hearts, dried cherries and bacon (or chicken)
- Chicken (or White Bean) and Asparagus Tacos with Orange Salsa
What are you making with asparagus? Feel free to share in the comments.
Recipe: Spring Asparagus Stew
Step 1: First Thing in the Morning: Brown Meat and Start Cooking in Slow Cooker
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 lb. beef stew meat
- Salt and pepper
- 2 cups water
Heat a large, heavy bottomed saute pan over medium high heat until quite hot. While waiting for pan to heat, spread beef cubes across a colander, then season with salt and pepper. Once pan is quite hot, raise heat to high and add oil. As soon as oil is very hot but not smoking, gently lay stew meat pieces carefully across pan in a single layer with a little space between pieces. Brown cubes quickly, turning with a fork to brown a couple of the sides. As soon as a cube is browned, drop into slow cooker, before it has a chance to cook beyond the surface level. (See below for 9 Keys for Tender Stew Meat.)
Deglaze the pan with water, scraping up any bits of meat from bottom of pan, then add to slow cooker. Cover and cook on low at least 8 but preferably 10 to 12 hours.
Step 2: About 1 Hour Before Mealtime: Saute Aromatics and Seasonings
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil, plus more if desired
- 2 cups onions, sliced vertically into wedges and then halved (from about 1 med. onion)
- 2 cups sliced cremini (or button) mushrooms (from about ½ lb.)
- 1 tsp. olive oil
- 1-2 Tbsp. chopped garlic (to taste)
- 1 tsp. dried leaf marjoram
- ½ tsp. dried leaf thyme
Heat the 1 Tbsp. oil in a large soup pot over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Saute about 5-7 minutes. Add mushrooms (along with another ½ Tbsp. oil if pan is dry) and continue sauteing until vegetables are lightly browned, stirring occasionally (about 5-7 minutes.) Reduce heat to medium low.
Push vegetables to sides of pan and in the center, warm the 1 tsp. oil. Stir garlic, marjoram and thyme into warmed oil and cook about 2-3 minutes until fragrant and then stir into onion-mushroom mixture.
Step 3: Thicken and Finish Seasoning Stew; Simmer
- 2 Tbsp. whole grain flour
- ½ c. red wine
- 2 Tbsp. grainy mustard
- 2 cups chicken or beef broth, plus more as needed
Sprinkle flour over vegetables and stir to combine. Then stir in wine, mustard and broth, along with stew meat and its cooking liquid from slow cooker. Once thoroughly combined, bring to a boil then lower heat and simmer 10 to 15 minutes, adding more broth if necessary to reach desired consistency.
Step 4: Add Asparagus and Finish Stew
- 3 cups asparagus, tough ends removed, sliced into 1” lengths (from about 1 to 1 1/2 lbs.)
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 2-4 Tbsp. red wine vinegar, to taste
- Bare pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
Add asparagus and salt and pepper to beef mixture and cook 5 to 10 more minutes, just until asparagus is tender to taste, but not so long as to get mushy and discolored.
Stir in vinegar, to taste, along with more salt and pepper, if needed, and cayenne pepper if desired.
Serving Suggestion
Mashed potatoes and orange slices
9 Keys for Tender Stew Meat
- Stew meat is generally one of the tougher cuts of beef and is therefor best cooked very slowly in a liquid bath. A slow cooker is perfect.
- BUT a little browning gives it so much more flavor. Hence, we use braising technique.
- Braising begins with a hot, fast browning of the food, but realize the point is NOT to cook it at that time; just quickly brown it to develop flavor.
- This is why the oil should be quite hot, so the meat can brown very quickly on the outside without reaching the inside. The inside will cook slowly to perfection in the slow cooker.
- To promote good browning, be sure to separate stew meat pieces and lay across a colander so all blood can drain off. Salt and pepper while there.
- As the recipe directs, do lay the pieces across pan in an even layer, with a little space between each piece. Start at the far side of the pan and work towards yourself to avoid dangerous splattering.
- If the pieces won’t fit all at once, then cook in two batches or use two pans.
- Speaking of pans, this is where a HEAVY-BOTTOMED saute pan shines. It can get hot enough to brown without burning.
- The second half of braising happens when the browned pieces are immersed in liquid and cooked very slowly to tenderness–that’s why it’s best to get an early start cook for 10 to 12 hours–or cook the day before.
