I love asparagus, and recently my kids started to really like it too – which means it will be a staple on my menu this season.

I have a feeling, though, that many people pass up asparagus because they don’t know how to prepare it.  So, this article serves two purposes — one, to get you to try asparagus, and two, to help you learn how to prepare it properly.

First, when you go to the market, look for a bunch of asparagus that has uniform thickness.  This will ensure that the asparagus cooks evenly. You also want to make sure it’s fresh — it should be crisp and bright green.

The most important part of prepping asparagus is removing the lower, tough portion of the spear.  Most people just chop the bottoms off the spears without much thought, but there’s actually a method to trimming asparagus.

Rather than randomly cutting a portion off the bottom, you take the spear between both of your hands and bend.  The spear will break naturally separating the tough lower portion from the more tender, upper portion of the spear. (For those of you looking to make use of the trimmings, you can reserve them for stock!)
The spears may not all be the same exact length, but that won’t affect the cooking process.

Now that we have prepped the asparagus, let’s cook them! I prefer to roast them, but you could also saute them in a pan with olive oil or blanch them in a pot of boiling water. We are big on roasting our veggies these days, so here’s a quick and tasty preparation for roasted asparagus!

Lemon-Garlic Scented Asparagus

Serves 4-6 adults (with leftovers!)

Before we launch into the recipe I just want to point out that you DO NOT want to pour lemon juice on top of your asparagus.  The lemon juice will turn your asparagus gray — it will turn most other green veggies the same color.  Instead, we are using lemon zest which will not affect the color of your asparagus, but will scent it with a wonderful lemon flavor!

2 bunches of asparagus, stems trimmed

1 lemon, zested

1 garlic clove, crushed

olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Arrange trimmed asparagus in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Drizzle a few tablespoons of olive oil over the asparagus, season with salt and pepper to taste. Roast asparagus for approximately 20-30 minutes, turning them occasionally, until tender and browned (cooking time will vary based on the width of the asparagus).

While the asparagus is roasting, mix together the lemon zest, crushed garlic and 2 tablespoons (or so) of olive oil in a small bowl.

Remove asparagus from the oven and arrange on a platter.  Drizzle lemon/garlic/olive oil mixture on top of the asparagus.

Serve and enjoy!

The good thing about this recipe is that you can modify the amount of garlic and lemon zest you use, so make it your own!