The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1914-05-21
FIRST OF VEGETABLES
ASPARAGUS IS HEARTILY VEL.
COINED AS A DISH OF SPRING.
Time and Care Expended In Its Prep
sration Is Well Repaid by sueeulent
Properties " II Is Prop
erly Served.

Asparagus is one OF the things that
make US glad when spring comes. Its
flavor. like the first warm winds that
blow out OF an April sky. is a delicate
forerunner of the richer gifts OF sum-
mer. And. yet. Is there one OF all the
many vegetables that the warm suns
OF summer bring out that Is more
toothsome than asparagus?
From the housewives point OF view,
the best thing about asparagus is that
1t is so simple to prepare for the
table. In fact, with little boiling
In a little water with d little salt and
butter you have dish fit for a king.
The matter Of boiling. however. is
sometimes stumbling block. We all
have seen asparagus come to the Ia
BILE with decapitated heads. This diff
ficulty is due to the fact that the
heads are so much tenderer than the
stalks that when the stalks have been
boiled sufficiently the heads have been
boiled to pieces. One way to obviate
this trouble is TO take pains to put
the punches OF asparagus after they
have been washed and scraped iito
the boiling dish with the stalk end
down. The boiling water should be
poured over the stalks as far as the
heads, but not to cover them. Then,
as the stalks boil the heads are gently
steamed, and II handled carefully will
not break.
Another way to obviate this Diff
| Guilty Is to use wire basket which is
made especially for asparagus. This
basket holds the stalks while cooking
and the bottom opens easily. so that
when the asparagus Is cooked II can
be put on a plate or serving platter
without breaking the ends. 1t costs
| rs cents.
Asparagus should always be cooked
with salt in the proportion OF tea
spoonful to a quart OF water. No rule
can be laid down as to the length OF
time to cook asparagus. When 1t 10
young and very tender 15 minutes VIII
suffice. When It is somewhat older 1t
will be improved by cooking up to
80 minutes or more.
In choosing asparagus from the
market It matters little whether 1t be
small and highly colored or thick
stalked and white. II It is young and
fresh II Is sure to be good. Aspara-
gus fl like fish in this. that you don't
really know rs flavor until you have
eaten It very fresh; tust caught from
the water or Just cut from the as
paragus bed. But the next best thing
to do with respect TO asparagus II
to buy It on market day and get II
home and In the icebox early In the
morning before II has been exposed
to the air and heat many hours.
The cuctom OF sending asparagus
In as a separate course Is good one
for nothing is more satisfactory as Q
separate vegetable course than this
succulent spring stalk. 1t can bs
served with the heads resting on q
tiny strip OF buttered toast, dressed
with pepper and salt and butter OF
with good cream sauce or 1t car
be served In any OF dozen more
elaborate ways.
Served simply with butter or cold
with a vinaigrette sauce. II is a good
accompaniment of any roast meat.
Various sauces make various dishes
Of asparagus and although connois
seurs insist that the delicate flavor
OF this vegetable cannot be improved
on by the addition OF fiavoring. other
than pepper. salt and melted butter
still sauces can be depended on BY
the cook for variety.