Asparagus is up and lands on the grill!

Asparagus is coming up fast and furious. It has a short but prolific season and since I love it, it’s easy to find ways to use it.

Asparagus is a Perennial

When we first put in the garden I knew I wanted an asparagus bed. Asparagus is a perennial vegetable and if you grow it from seed, you need to wait four years for the plants to get strong enough to harvest. Since I didn’t want to wait that long, I bought four year old bare root plants.

After digging my trench and setting my asparagus in one fall, I waited patiently (or impatiently depending on the day) for those green shoots to break through the soil the following spring. Sure enough they did!

Harvest Time!

I didn’t harvest that first year they came up but left their four-foot billowy fronds to gather strength for the new plants. The following year I harvested for four weeks. The year after for five weeks an then, finally, the recommended maximum, six weeks of harvest time.

To harvest asparagus, wait until the stalks are about 12 to 18 inches tall. Cut them off just below the surface. I find a sharp serrated knife works best for me. Don’t wait until they are too big or their tender tips will start to open into fronds. Not my idea of good eats.

Pest in Paradise 🙁

This year for the first time I had some Asparagus Beetles munching on the tips of my asparagus. I reached for my trusty Rodale Press Organic Gardening book. https://www.amazon.com/Rodales-Ultimate-Encyclopedia-Organic-Gardening. This is an updated version. Mine is from the 1980s! The guide said to handpick early in the morning and in early evening or spray with an organic pesticide. I hand picked and dropped into soapy water for about three days and was rid of the infestation. Yea!!!!

Local Tastes Best!

While you will find asparagus in the grocery store year round, the local season isn’t going to be more than a couple of months. Since I love fresh asparagus, I use it many ways. In stir fries, sautéed as a simple side and my favorite — on the grill.

This is an adaptation of a recipe I found on Epicurious. The original called for green beans and the avocado and mango weren’t grilled. Great recipe but I really like my version too.

Cooking with the Garden’s Gifts

Grilled Asparagus and Tofu Wraps with Mango, Avocado and Chili Lime Sauce

Heat a grill to medium heat. I still use a charcoal grill but gas is obviously good or you could do this indoors on a grill pan or a skillet. I love the flavor real hardwood charcoal imparts to food. It’s probably not good for you but sometimes you gotta live dangerously!!!

While the grill is heating, make the chili lime sauce and toast some cashews.

The chili lime sauce is easy. Chop a pepper of desired heat. Anything from a bell pepper for no heat to a ghost pepper for pain. I chose a Chili Lombok from last year’s garden that I froze.

Finely chop the pepper.

Add 1/4 cup of lime juice, 1 Tbs of sugar, honey or maple syrup, 1 Tbs soy sauce and a teaspoon of neutral oil and whisk to combine. You’re done!

Toast and chop the cashews (peanuts would also work or you could omit entirely).

Cut a mango off it’s pit and leave it whole. Ditto for the avocado.

Brush the tofu with a little oil and some of the chili lime marinade/sauce. I don’t usually marinate tofu as no matter what I do, it doesn’t seem to impart much flavor. I prefer to use either a thicker sauce that sticks to the tofu or a flavorful dipping sauce like this one.

Cook the tofu on the grill to the desired doneness and remove.

Place the avocado and mango on the grill cut side down and cook until just softened and with a few grill marks.

While the mango and avocado are heating, add the asparagus to the grill either using a grill basket or using care not to lose them between the grill grates!

I was able to use lettuce from the garden to make the lettuce cups — yea!! Heap a little of everything into the lettuce cup, using a spoon to get some avocado with each one. Top with some toasted cashews for crunch, dip into sauce or drizzle it over the lettuce cup filling and enjoy!

A light spring grilling dish! Leftovers are good for lunch and don’t even need to be reheated.

Ingredients

• 1 – 2 peppers of desired heat (about a tablespoon chopped)
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1 Tbs sugar, maple syrup or honey (choice of sweetener will affect the flavor, pick what you like)
• 1 Tbs soy sauce
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. of oil plus more for grilling
• Half a 14 ounce block of tofu cut into four planks
• 1/2 a pound of asparagus, woody bottom portion snapped off
• 1 ripe but firm mango
• 1 ripe but firm avocado
• 2 Tbs chopped and toasted cashews or peanuts
• Lettuce leaves for wrapping
• Fresh cilantro chopped to top (optional)

Preparation

Combine chopped pepper, lime juice, sweetener, soy sauce, salt and oil and whisk to combine. Toast cashews. Slice the tofu and brush with the marinade and a little extra oil. Oil the grill.

Add the tofu to the grill and cook for two to four minutes per side depending on how done you like it. Remove and set aside. Add halved mango and avocado to grill and toast until warm and slightly charred. Grill asparagus for three or four minutes until slightly softened.

Put everything on a platter with lettuce leaves to act as a wrap for eating. Slice the mango, avocado and tofu to make it easier to put on the wrap. Alternately just scoop a bit of the avocado onto the wrap if it is too soft to slice.

Add a little bit of everything to a lettuce wrap, top with toasted cashews and cilantro (if using). Pour a little bit of the reserved sauce over the wrap or dip the wrap into the sauce and enjoy!