Meijer.com (a regional department/grocery store chain) has some interesting info about asparagus this week: http://www.meijer.com/produce/ . That link may not show asparagus after this week, so here's the text. There's even a quiz about this lucious veggie. :)
Tender and Tasty
People have been enjoying asparagus for thousands of years. Why? Simple: wonderful taste and easy to prepare! Get in on the action and take some asparagus home today. Steam it! Bake it! Saute it!
Cautionary notice: Don't overcook asparagus, or any other vegetable for that matter, because you lose vitamins and minerals. Most people hate mushy vegetables anyway.
Nutrition Facts
Low Calorie
Saturated Fat Free
Sodium Free
Cholesterol Free
High in Folate
Good Source of the antioxidant Vitamin C
Fat Free
Selection Tips
Look for fresh asparagus with firm, compact tips. Spears with larger diameters are just as tender as slender spears.
A Serving of Asparagus History
Test your asparagus knowledge. The answers are located at the bottom of the question list.
1. In what part of the world was asparagus first grown?
2. What do asparagus, onions, garlic, leeks, shallots, chives, and yucca have in common?
3. Name the famous king who had gardeners grow asparagus in greenhouses so he could eat asparagus year round.
4. Which of the 50 states grows most of the asparagus in the United States?
5. How did ancient Greeks and Romans view asparagus medicinally?
6. What is the best growing climate for asparagus?
7. Name the two main varieties of asparagus.
8. What ancient people used asparagus as an offering to the gods?
9. Where was asparagus first grown in North America?
10. The word "asparagus" is derived from the Greek word asparagos. What does it mean translated in English?
Answers:
1. We don't know precisely but asparagus was grown in the Mediterranean region during ancient times.
2. All are members of the lily family.
3. Louis XIV of France
4. California.
5. They believed it helped to prevent bee stings and relieve toothaches.
6. Asparagus grows best in areas where the ground freezes in winter to a depth of two inches or more.
7. Green and white.
8. The Egyptians.
9. New England
10. It means "sprout" or "shoot."
