This is a super easy recipe for late spring and early summer that allows you to enjoy one of the season's most precious and health-packed vegetables: asparagus.
Fresh asparagus is said to be like a tune-up cleanse for your kidneys. It is loaded with essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. And for those who care to know, it is low calorie, although the butter sauce makes up for the lack of calories.
Here are some FUN FACTS about asparagus:
Asparagus is part of the lily family
Asparagus is related to onions and garlic, without tasting like either
Asparagus plants produce little yellow-green flowers shaped like bells
Honeybees love pollinating these sweet little flowers
To reach the pollen the honeybees must hang upside down from the flowers
When bees go from flower to flower pollinating plants little red berries grow and fall to earth
Song birds cherish these little red berries and spread the seeds around as they eat
Humans bliss out on delicious freshly cooked asparagus as a rare seasonal treat.
The true gift of asparagus is the story you just read, the role it plays in reminding us that we are all interconnected. What nourishes one, nourishes another. There is an awe-inspiring flow in nature that isn’t always apparent – nature in harmony.
Let’s thank the busy bees for asparagus and honey and probably also for the mustard in this recipe. And for the precious story of how it all comes together.
1 bundle of fresh green asparagus shoots, tough ends removed
Mix Together in a Bowl:
1/3 cup of local honey
2 ounces of grass-fed butter, like Kerrygold
1 teaspoon of fine mustard of your choice
1 teaspoon of turmeric
Celtic salt and black pepper
Cover the asparagus in boiling water and let it cook for 15 minutes or so depending on how soft you like yours. Drain the asparagus and keep the liquid in a separate bowl so you can drink some of it later if you wish.
Stir the other 5 ingredients together and blend well in a bowl.
Return the asparagus to the pan and pour the thick honey mustard butter over it to warm up.
Optional: For added freshness you can squeeze half a lemon over the asparagus and sauce, or top with shredded Parmesan cheese.
Serve with any meat or eggs of your choice, or with some fine crusty bread. We like eating the asparagus on its own.
Bon appetit!