Asparagus is a spring growing vegetable that you’ve probably started to see at your local farmers market or inside CSA boxes. This stalky vegetable will bloom typically from April to June. You will see green varieties more often but there are also white and purple varieties available as well.
Stem thickness can indicate the age of the plant. Thinner stalks tend to be younger and less woody where as thicker stalks are older and tend to have a woody top layer. Asparagus is very versatile and can be eaten in numerous ways. It can be chopped into 2 inch pieces and mixed into a stir fry, baked into a quiche, or cooked into a soup. The stalks can also be left long and lightly seasoned, then cooked on the grill a or roasted in the oven with garlic and lemon.
And now to the answer to the question you’ve all been thinking: “Why does my pee smell after eating asparagus?”. Asparagus contains a chemical called asaparagusic acid that when consumed, converts into a a sulfur containing molecule which convey’s an unpleasant scent. These sulfuric molecules are volatile which allows them to vaporize and travel into the
air and into your nose!
- 1 pound asparagus
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp minced garlic
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt
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In a small bowl mix together vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, salat, pepper.
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Snap ends off asparagus, wash to remove soil and debris and place in a zip lock bag. Pour the vinegar mixture over the asparagus and let sit for 30 minutes.
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Place on hot grill and grill each side about 5 minutes or until stalks are tender.
*Tip: To help prevent stalks from falling through the grates of the grill, bunch 5 stalks side by side and stick a toothpick through the bottom and top to hold them in place.
