The appearance of asparagus at the Market represents the beginning of fresh vegetable season to many visitors. Raw asparagus is high in vitamins A, B-complex and C, and is also rich with potassium and zinc. Asparagus should be cooked simply to retain its nutrional value.
Young asparagus is also delicious raw with a light vinaigrette.
Make sure you snap off the woody bottoms before cooking. Fresh asparagus needs to be kept cool and moist, so refrigerate immediately with a damp paper towel, or bundle the spears and place upright in a container with one inch of water. Americans consumed more than 5 Billion pounds of snack foods in 1992. Using a vegetable peeler, pare approximately 1 inch or so of the stalk to remove any remaining tough fibers. Steam or blanch asparagus in boiling water until crisp-tender.