Asparagus is a controversial vegetable. Growing advice has changed, and there are a few misguided people who don't believe, as Debbie and I do, that springtime was invented to enjoy fresh asparagus.

Asparagus can be started from seed or crowns. Starting with crowns means that harvesting can begin after the second growing season. Seeded plants take an extra year to establish strong, edible spears.

Choose the growing site with longevity in mind. Asparagus is a perennial that should keep producing for about 15 years. The plants will grow about 4 to 7 feet tall, and can serve as a beautiful, dark green fernlike companion to summer flowering perennials and herbs.

If you already have an established sunny perennial border, the sun and soil requirements are in place to add asparagus any time from late November to Valentine's Day. To amend a future asparagus bed, turn in green crops, animal manure, straw and leaf mold. Asparagus doesn't like acid soils, so test the pH and adjust it to 6.0 to 6.7. Continue adding compost to the bed on a yearly basis to increase production of sweet, tender spears.

Martha Washington used to be the variety of choice for Southern gardens, but Martha has a tendency to wander through self-seeding. Male hybrid plants tend to be more productive and resistant to diseases such as rust and wilt.

Jersey Knight and Jersey General have the best combination of spear size and yield. Viola "Purple Passion" has a lower yield, but a sweeter flavor and purple hue.

Gardeners were once advised to plant crowns in a deep trench, but that is no longer the preferred method. That means you can add asparagus to the list of plants suitable for container gardens. Use ones that are 10 gallons or larger for adequate root growth.

If planting in the ground, dig a trench or individual holes about six inches deep and wide enough to spread the roots out fully. Cover with soil to ground level. Asparagus roots spread horizontally rather than going deeper, and will form a thick mat.

Plant about 10 crowns per family member. If you want extra for freezing, double that amount. Begin harvesting in the second spring after planting. For about two weeks, snap off the spears at ground level when they get about 8 inches high. Don't pick spears that emerge after the first two weeks; leave them to produce energy for the plant. From the third through the 15th year, harvest can continue for about six to eight weeks each spring.

Cook it

I associate asparagus with springtime, as Carol does, but mainly with high-class eating.

My first experience with it was when my grandmother made what was to me a fancy luncheon dish for her canasta club, and let me try it. She toasted English muffins, poured on some kind of chicken sauce (was it cream of chicken soup?) and topped it with canned asparagus and cheese.

The muffin was soggy, and the canned asparagus had all the flavor and texture of wet newspaper, but no matter. To 10-year-old me, reared on lunches of pimento cheese or bologna sandwiches, it was the big time. I don't think I'd ever even seen asparagus until then.

I still believe that asparagus is an elegant treat, from its shape to the unique flavor. But it is so easily abused. Overcook it, and you might as well stuff it in a can.

Like fresh sweet corn, asparagus's cooking time is in the single digits; a mere couple of minutes in the steamer or in boiling water, depending on the thickness of the stalks. Cook it just until it turns bright green.

For enjoying the flavor simply, I think grilling is best. Just rub the stalks with some olive oil and place over the coals. Use a preheated grill pan if you're afraid the stalks will drop through. Turn them with tongs until the asparagus is deeply browned but not burned, to caramelize the sugars in the vegetable, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grilled asparagus can be kept warm briefly in an oven on low heat, while you're cooking the steak or lamb chops to go with it.

I sometimes make a cold side dish of steamed or boiled asparagus with a sauce of yogurt and lemon juice, flavoring it with either fresh dill or a bit of tahini, the sesame paste. Pour the sauce over the cooked asparagus and chill for several hours, or serve the sauce on the side as a dip.

Asparagus tips are beautiful in a vegetable pasta or stir fry, or even added to a tossed salad. Cooked asparagus wrapped in thinly sliced prosciutto, drizzled with lemon juice and olive oil, is a classic Italian hors d'oeuvre.

Asparagus comes in purple and white versions, in addition to the standard green. When selecting any color, make sure the stems are firm, not mushy, and the tips are tight.

Before cooking, snap off the tough, woody ends. Simply bend the stalks gently and they will naturally break off where needed.

This stylish member of the lily family, which includes garlic and leeks, also has a practical side. Asparagus packs a good amount of folic acid, vitamin C, vitamin A and fiber. It also contains a sulfur compound called mercaptan, which is responsible for the, shall we say, odor issue that some people notice after eating asparagus. It's perfectly harmless.

Asparagus brings a light flavor to this breakfast casserole, which includes chicken instead of the usual sausage. You can use frozen asparagus, but it takes no time to steam fresh asparagus for the dish, and it will taste better. This recipe is from my new cookbook, "Fan Fare: A Playbook of Great Recipes for Tailgating or Watching the Game at Home," published by Harvard Common Press.

Recipes

Shelley's Girly Breakfast Casserole

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