The Skinny on Asparagus -- and a Great Way to Cook It

I have fond childhood memories of my mom handing me her favorite paring knife on brisk Montana spring days. My task: to head out to the front yard and whack down a handful of fresh asparagus spears growing wild along the irrigation ditch.

Had I know Latin at the time, I would have passed along to my mother the wisdom of Roman Emperor Augustus Caesar, who coined the phrase: velocius quam asparagi conquantur, when he wanted something done "more quickly than cooking asparagus."

Mom didn't get the "cook it quickly" thing. She always boiled the stuff to death. But she never killed my love for the fresh, grassy flavor of the vegetable fit for Roman gods.

Today we appreciate our asparagus tender-crisp and a lot of us are grilling and roasting it. But I have discovered a wonderful, yet simple dish that brings the green spears of spring to a new level. The secret here is that both the asparagus and very thin orange slices are caramelized under the broiler. Try Charred Asparagus with Orange Slices while spring is still in the air. For the best results, buy the thicker asparagus spears.

Speaking of size, here is a quiz for you. True or False: Those pencil-thin spears are tender young baby asparagus.

If you chose True, you are wrong! According to Charles Maes of the Canby Asparagus Farm, there is no such thing as "baby asparagus." The fat spears emerge fat and grow six to eight inches in one day and then are harvested! Skinny spears grow the same way and come right up along with their fat siblings. So essentially they can be the same age.

Oregon State University Extension Agent Bob McReynolds says as the weather gets hotter, later in the growing season, the asparagus crowns become depleted of energy and begin producing mostly skinny spears, which are now becoming fibrous and stringy. Conversely, both fat and skinny spears grown at the beginning of the season are more tender.

Now, go dazzle your friends with your knowledge -- and this dish.