Roast it. Grill it. Fry it. But don't overcook it! Asparagus season is here: Jasmine Mangalaseril

Asparagus season is underway, so now is the perfect time to enjoy the season's first local harvest.

Asparagus plants grown from seed take three years to produce spears. Many growers plant one-year-old crowns (a string mop-like central group of stems surrounded by finger-like roots) to harvest their first crop sooner. Once established, crowns can produce for 20 years or longer.

Crowns send up multiple spears. The hotter the weather, the faster they'll grow — sometimes 25 centimetres in 24 hours. On hot, humid days, they can be harvested twice a day.

"You start at one part of the field, and you keep picking from when the sun comes up until you've picked the field. Then the next day you just start over again," said Tim Barrie, owner of Barrie's Asparagus Farm, near Cambridge, Ont.

Barrie inherited the farm from his father, who switched from farming beef cattle to asparagus more than 50 years ago.

The first crop "was an absolute fail." The second wasn't.

"Every single spear [my parents] picked was sold. They just put a sign out. People drove in and they sold everything. So, they said, 'Okay, this is going to be pretty good,'" recalled Barrie.

When the season ends, the spears grow into 2- to 2.5-metre-tall ferns, which gather energy for the next season.

"If you stop picking it early, it'll start working on next year's crop early," explained Barrie. "You could keep going, but that would be really dumb because you're just hurting next year's crop."

Not all the spears are destined for home or restaurant kitchens. Some are processed into sauces and other preserves.

"It's actually a lot of fun talking to some of our partners about what products we're going to play around with," said Barrie. "A lot of these ideas just get bounced around between our family and friends."

Their products include salsas, finishing salts, and antipasto. Horseradish mustard and zucchini relish are customer favourites.

Asparagus tips

Asela (Ace) Bulner, executive chef of Cambridge's Blackshop Restaurant, offers some suggestions for home cooks.

"If the asparagus is not nice and green, that means it has been sitting in the storage for a bit," said Bulner.

Bulner said for the best tasting asparagus, a cook should:

• Avoid tight rubber bands: Spears that stand in water too long will swell, making the bands tight.
• Look for tightly closed tips: If the scale leaves are opened out, they'll likely be fibrous.
• Keep them fresh: Stand them in an ice bath and cover the tips in a damp paper towel in the fridge. 

When it comes to cooking asparagus "you need that crunch. It has to be cooked, but it you need that bite. Otherwise, it's going to be mushy," said Bulner.

When cooking asparagus, Bulner suggests the following:

• Ready in minutes: Regardless of cooking method, they only need a few minutes per side.
• The last to be grilled: Add the spears to the grill, after the proteins and other veg are done.
• Set the colour: Adding a little lemon juice to blanching water helps to keep the colour vibrant.
• Avoid overpowering herbs and spices: Try fresh herbs, including oregano or sage.
• Add a splash of sharpness: A squeeze of lemon or toss in dressings made with citrus juice, balsamic vinegar, or rice wine vinegar, to brighten flavour.

"It depends on the dish you create. If you're having fish, you can use some dill, fennel. If you're [having] a steak, you have to keep it simple."

Ace Bulner's Bang Bang Asparagus

This crispy asparagus tempura is a perfect side or starter, served with dipping sauce. Here, ingredient temperature is important — cold ingredients will help to inhibit gluten formation, so your fried batter will be light and crispy.

Yield: 4 Servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 Minutes

1 bunch                     fresh asparagus spears, trimmed

250 ml                       ice cold sparkling water or club soda

1                                egg yolk, chilled

115 g (190 ml)           all-purpose flour plus more for dusting

35 g (60 ml)               cornstarch optional

Pinch                         baking soda (optional)

Neutral oil for deep frying (such as canola, grapeseed, sunflower, peanut), as needed

Salt to taste

Dipping sauce, to serve, such as

• nam jim
• aioli
• lemony mayo
• spicy mayo

Pat dry asparagus spears. If they are thick, halve them lengthwise and set aside.

In a high sided pot, heat 5 cm of oil to 175ºC/350ºF. Line a plate with paper towels to drain the cooked spears.

While the oil is heating, gently whisk the yolk into the sparkling water. Lightly stir in flour, cornstarch (if using), and baking soda until just combined. The batter should be cold, lumpy, and not over mixed.

When the oil is at temperature, work in batches to avoid overcrowding. Lightly dust spears in flour, then dip into batter. Let excess batter drip off. Carefully lower into hot oil. Fry for one to two minutes per side. When done, the spears should be lightly golden and crispy.

Remove, using a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt. Serve immediately with dipping sauce.