The joy of asparagus plus a secret and delicious way to cook up those tough ends

An ode to the one of the finest gifts of spring: delicious ideas, a recipe and how to use up the ends so you never discard them again.

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Asparagus growing under straw at Sopley Farm Photo: Sue Quinn

As I write this, a bunch of asparagus sits on my kitchen bench, green spears blushing faintly lavender at the tips. I’m lucky. They were grown at Sopley Farm, just a few miles away from where I live, and they’re exceptional. Asparagus is one of the very best gifts of Spring and I eat as much as I can while the short season lasts.

A while back, I interviewed the farmer who grows this asparagus. Standing in his dusty field, the spears poking up around us like the antennae of subterranean aliens , he told me he made almost no money from this glorious crop, which he grows the traditional way, under straw. Most consumers want the cheap stuff, mostly air freighted from Peru. That has forced down the price of English asparagus, so now he barely covers his costs. (He made more money renting out his fields to campers in the summer than he did from vegetables, he told me.) Sadder still, it’s harder for him to sell the wonky spears than the arrow-straight ones, such is demand for ‘perfect’ vegetables. This makes me want to cry, given the effort he puts into growing them. Does a bent asparagus taste inferior to a straight one? Of course not.

Mystifyingly unloved wonky asparagus

Anyway, asparagus is one of those vegetables that truly does taste more delicious when eaten fresh, as the flavour plummets once picked. The droopy bundles that have travelled far or lingered on the shelf too long often taste bitter and dull. And although it’s true that the first pickings of any harvest can taste more vital and exciting than those that follow, asparagus is delicious whether youthful and lanky, or cigarillo fat.

To prep asparagus, all you need to do is trim the woody ends or snap them off at their natural breaking point. But don’t throw the ends away. Scrape off any very tough outer bits with a vegetable peeler, then simmer in salted boiled water until tender – this will take much longer than the spears, so whatever you do, don’t cook them together. Then, blitz the ends in a powerful blender – I use a Vitamix – to produce a smooth puree. (I’m afraid you will need a powerful blender for this) Turn this into ‘asparomole’ (a term used by my favourite local restaurant The Larderhouse for its mashed asparagus, served on toast with New Forest mushrooms). Add the same flavours you would when making guacamole: lots of good olive oil, chilli, lime, coriander, tomato and lots of seasoning.

Serve this on hot toast, maybe with a poached egg, sautéed mushrooms, finely chopped herbs (chopped fresh mint and tarragon!) or a scattering of seeds. Or, stir the puree through risotto and top with some perfectly cooked spears (just a few minutes in salted boiling water – check after 3 minutes, that’s often long enough). Asparagus and salty dairy are a perfect marriage, so add lots of butter and Parmesan at the end.

We often eat the spears with nothing more than (lots of) butter, or maybe a puddle of hollandaise, or draped with slices of salty Prosciutto alongside boiled new potatoes and soft boiled eggs. Nuts complement the flavour of asparagus especially well – add toasted pine nuts to buttery asparagus, or toss with pesto.

If you’re feeling vaguely fancy - although this incredibly quick and simple - try this recipe from my book Foolproof Roasting Pan - you don’t need to bake this in a roasting pan – a baking sheet will do.

Photo: Faith Mason, recipe from Foolproof Roasting Pan, Quadrille Publishing

Ricotta, asparagus and mint tartlets

The lemon and mint makes these tartlets sing: they’re a perfect springtime lunch or starter. Serve with a mixed salad.

Makes: 4 | Takes: 35 minutes

80g (1/3 cup) ricotta cheese
2 heaped tbsp finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 large egg, beaten
grated zest of 1⁄2 lemon
1⁄2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 tbsp chopped mint, plus extra for sprinkling
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 x 320-g sheet of ready-rolled puff pastry or 320g block pastry (chill until needed)
24 fine asparagus spears, trimmed to about 12cm

1.     Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F and line a 30 x 20 x 5-cm roasting tray with baking parchment.

2.     Beat the ricotta, Parmesan, 2 tablespoons of the beaten egg, the lemon zest, olive oil, mint and salt and pepper together in a bowl.

3.     Trim the pastry sheet, or roll out the block, into a 30 x 20-cm rectangle. Cut in half crossways and lengthways to make four 10 x 15-cm rectangles, and transfer to the prepared roasting tray.

4.     Mark a 1-cm border around each pastry rectangle with the tines of a fork and brush the border with the remaining beaten egg. Prick inside the border with the fork. Divide the ricotta mixture between each tartlet and spread out inside the border. Top with the asparagus spears, drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle over more mint and salt. Bake for 25 minutes, or until puffed and golden. Serve immediately.