White asparagus - Spring.....................from Rico

I care not what the weatherman or the calendar have to say about it...it is now officially Spring for me!

White asparagus (weisse spargel) is a very big deal for the Germans, especially in the Spring.

- The last time I had it, was years ago in Bangkok when I went to a restaurant that catered to the German ex-pat community. The place was jammed, and everybody was excited about the airplane load of 'weisse spargel' that had just arrived and was appearing on the menu until it 'ran out.'

Yesterday I 'scored' a bundle of white asparagus locally. Having enjoyed it greatly in the past, I knew that while I liked its green cousin I 'loved' this stuff!

- I also had 'learned' from the Gasthaus chef in Bangkok that the 'secret' was to peel the hard bark/skin off the spargel before cooking it. Trust me, it makes ALL the difference.

I peeled the stalks (from the head downward) with a vegetable peeler, and boiled it in water with salt-sugar-pepper and butter to the desired tenderness.

- I topped it with a faux-hollandaise sauce of butter-lemon juice-mustard-parmesan and lemon pepper.

It turned out well, meeting or exceeding my expectations.

- The glass of Rheingau didn't hurt any, either.

So, for me, it is now officially Spring....

- And NO, this is not a picture of what I made (mine looked better, and didn't last very long, it's just to give you an 'idea' of what weisse spargel is supposed to look like when plated.