Grab The Vegetable Peeler

Have you ever seen something, or someone do something and wonder to yourself "why"? Well, that is how I was w/ watching tv chefs "shave" asparagus. Almost every time I would see one of them grab their vegetable peeler and start trimming the stalks, I was convinced it was just to be fancy, and really served no purpose whatsoever. Boy was I wrong. Then a couple years ago as I watched my son struggle to eat the asparagus I had so carefully steamed I thought to my self "oh ok now it makes sense". He was having trouble w/ the one thing that I think probably turns most people off to asparagus. The "woody" tough stalks. Even when you trim the ends off, the stalk can still be tough in spots. But not when you take the time to trim them down w/ a peeler. Yes it's kind of tedious, and sometimes messy ( you won't think so until you find asparagus trimmings hanging off your counter top, cutting board and cupboards!) but it is so worth it. Not only does it indeed make it tender, it actually gives it a better flavor I think. So I guess next time I see a tv chef doing something I don't understand I should assume he/she knows what he/she is doing!

Steamed Asparagus


1 bunch asparagus
2 TBS butter or margarine
Salt and pepper to taste

Take one piece of asparagus and gently bend until it snaps. This will give you the natural break for tenderness. Using it as a guide, trim the rest of the bunch the same size. Using a vegetable peeler, trim the stalks until a light green color appears. Place in a casserole dish, add 2 TBS water, cover and mircowave 3-4 minutes until tender. DO NOT OVER COOK. Drain excess water, add butter, salt and pepper and serve.

Asparagus