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Spear delight: Five elegant asparagus recipes By Kate Dowhan and The Canadian Living Test Kitchen

These pretty, classy and elegant asparagus recipes entice all the senses to wake up and embrace the first foods of spring.

Salad of White and Green Asparagus with Fiddleheads
Photography by Yvonne Duivenvoorden

Asparagus how-to
Hold asparagus by butt end halfway up stalk and snap off tough, woody end.

To blanch: Cover and cook in boiling salted water until tender-crisp, about 2 minutes.
To boil: Add 2 minutes to time for blanching.
To steam: Steam on rack above 1 inch (2.5 cm) boiling water unitl tender-crisp, about 4 minutes
To grill: Brush with vegetable oil. Close lid and grill on greased grill over medium-high heat, turning once, until tender-crisp, about 7 minutes.
To roast: Roll in a little vegetable oil; roast on baking sheet in 500 F (260 C) oven until tender, shaking pan once, about 5 minutes.