Best Bites

Spring Sides: Peas and Asparagus

By Joan Leotta

My two favorite spring green veggies are peas and asparagus—peas, frozen; asparagus, fresh only. Why do I use peas from the freezer even in spring? Well, I’m both lazy and cost conscious. I do not like to shell peas. Frozen peas are flash frozen on harvest day. If I purchase a basket of peas they may sit around in my fridge until I work up the energy to shell them. And in today’s world, shelling peas does not carry the cachet of family togetherness that it did in my youth.

Peas—The secret to making frozen peas taste like spring is twofold—butter and mint.

I like to put my peas in a ceramic bowl, dot with butter, add fresh mint (about 1 tablespoon, minced), and microwave according to package directions or thirty seconds less if I want them a bit firmer.

When the peas are cooked, I add more fresh mint and salt to taste.

Asparagus—fresh only. Even though this vegetable is also freshly frozen, asparagus tastes mushy after having been frozen. Although many people steam or even boil asparagus, I find that makes them too soft for me. I sauté fresh stalks or roast them (after washing and trimming off the woody parts) with a smidge of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roasting is the easiest—twenty minutes at four hundred degrees and you have a side dish worthy of company.

Frying breaded asparagus stalks is a wonderful but labor-intensive treat my mother-in-law excelled at making. My efforts are good, but do not compare to hers. I’m sharing her recipe below.

Mama Leotta’s Fried Asparagus

I bunch (about 1 lb.) fresh asparagus 1 cup breadcrumbs (Italian or plain) 2 Tablespoons Romano cheese (optional) 1 egg 2 Tablespoons water 2 Tablespoons olive oil

Wash the asparagus. Be gentle with the heads.

Snap o the dry, woody part of the stalk. If you are not comfortable with “feeling” the asparagus stalks to nd the right place, simply cut one or two inches o the bottom of each stalk. Lay on a paper towel to dry.

Beat one egg in a bowl, add 2 Tablespoons water to the egg, and beat again.

Put 1 cup of breadcrumbs in another bowl. You can use Italian breadcrumbs or regular. Add 1 -2 Tablespoons of Pecorino Romano cheese if you wish.

Dip each stalk rst in the egg, then in the breadcrumbs, put them on a plate, and refrigerate for one hour.

Heat the oil in a frying pan. When the oil is hot, put in the stalks and brown. Do not crowd the pan.

If you have to add a bit more oil during the frying process, wait until the new oil gets hot before adding more asparagus.