Asparagus-Lime Pie and Other Excursions

by Judy Sobeloff, from the May 2006 newsletter

I steamed asparagus for the first time this spring while my two-year-old looked on from a stepstool, eating the stalks I handed him and begging for more. Somehow, in the it’s-already-past-dinnertime-and-I-have-no-idea-what-we’re-having crunch, we had all the ingredients for “Easy Elegant Asparagus” on hand, and when the kids sat down and stirred the remaining ingredients together, the four-year-old liked it. True, the two-year-old no longer did, but I considered the experience a net positive.

Like many other vegetables, asparagus is: a) ancient (first discovered growing wild by the Greeks along the shores of the Mediterranean and cultivated by the Romans as early as 200 B.C.); b) was believed to heal various maladies (the Greeks thought it could cure toothache and prevent beestings); and c) was a favorite of the elite (the Roman emperors kept special boats, the “asparagus fleet,” solely for the purpose of obtaining it, and Louis XIV built greenhouses so he could have asparagus year-round.)

A member of the lily family along with onions and garlic, asparagus has a mystique all its own. Consider the following, which may or may not increase your enjoyment of National Asparagus Month (May) and Asparagus Day (May 24). Some detect an odor in their urine after eating asparagus, apparently due to a compound named methanethiol.

Researchers are divided as to whether those who do not detect the odor lack the compound or the ability to smell it. The smell is allegedly so potent that WWII survival kits included instructions to eat asparagus and urinate into the ocean to attract fish (www.unb.ca).

A more useful fact: skinny stalks are not necessarily younger or more tender than fatter ones, as the diameter of the stalk is only an indication of the age of the bed it was grown in. While the most amazing asparagus I ever tasted was handed to me fresh from someone’s garden, cooking until slightly tender is usually preferred. We are told to snap off the tough ends rather than cutting, though we’re not told why. A preferred steaming method is to stand a bundle of asparagus in three inches of water, cover and cook for eight minutes or until the tips are tender (homecooking.com). Asparagus also works well in stir-fries.

On to a riskier project. My daughter was far from thrilled to discover that the pie we were going to make together was Asparagus-Lime. Her enthusiasm grew once we began, however, and I must say that everyone—adults and children alike—who tasted this pie enjoyed it. While it does taste like key lime or lemon meringue, the asparagus flavor is prominent as well, and the balance between sweet and citrus and asparagus works. While the adults mused about the pie’s virtues, my daughter knew for sure: “I think it’s the sugar that makes it so good!” 

Inspired by this success and by the prevalence of such statements as 1) “In medieval times the roots were boiled in wine and drunk several days in a row while fasting” (hometown.aol.com) and 2) “The great French lovers of yesteryear dined on three courses of this shapely green vegetable on the night before the wedding” (www.eros-london.com), I pressed on with my research. For the grand finale, I would make the famed asparagus of Madame Pompadour, the mistress of Louis XV, for whom asparagus was reportedly a favorite aphrodisiac (something about the Law of Similarity, by which the shape of a vegetable dictates its properties). Widely divergent recipes for Mme. Pompadour’s dish abounded, however, with only egg yolks in common, for “increased vigor.” 

As the mace (mace?!) and spelt combo held little appeal, I chose the feta-avocado variation instead. Stopping into the Co-op for the feta, I wondered whether anyone suspected my purpose, a feeling reminiscent of a time long ago when I was assigned to buy pornographic magazines for a women’s studies class.

I won’t go into detail here about the results, except to say that it was tasty and that I ended up lying awake for much of the night, whether or not due to increased vigor I can’t say. Surely with May being National Asparagus Month, you’ll want to try one of these variations yourself.

Easy Elegant Aparagus (from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home)

1 lb. fresh asparagus
11/2 Tbsp. pine nuts
2 Tbsp. melted butter
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper if desired

Steam asparagus until bright green and just tender. Toast the pine nuts at 350 for about 5 minutes. Stir together the melted butter and vinegar. Drain asparagus and arrange on serving platter. Drizzle butter sauce on top and sprinkle with toasted pine nuts. Serve immediately.

Asparagus-Lime Pie (adapted from Asparagus: All Ways … Always) (Makes 2 pies)

3 eggs, separated
1 cup sugar (divided in two)
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tsp. grated lime peel
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups smooth asparagus puree (3/4-1 1b. fresh asparagus)
2 pie shells

Boil asparagus and puree in blender. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Separate eggs and set aside whites. Combine egg yolks, 1/2 cup of sugar, lime juice, lime peel, and salt in the top of a double boiler and beat until well blended. Place over simmering water, stirring constantly. Cook until thickened and coats a spoon. Remove from heat and fold in asparagus puree. Beat egg whites until stiff, adding remaining 1/2 cup of sugar while beating. Fold egg whites into filling. Fill cooled crusts with filling and bake for 30 minutes. Cool on rack.

Madame Pompadour's Asparagus (adapted from many Internet sources, including www.austparagus.com, www.onecer.net, www.salon.com, www.madamedepompadour.com)

Variation 1: Serve asparagus with crushed hard-boiled egg.

Variation 2: Slice asparagus obliquely toward the tips in pieces no bigger than the little finger. Take only the choicest sections. Mix 100 grams (about 3 oz.) of feta and avocado together, a good pinch of powdered nutmeg, and the yolks of two eggs diluted with four spoonfuls of lemon juice. After mixing this sauce, drop in the asparagus tips and serve in a covered casserole.

Variation 3: Substitute 10 grams of flour and a lump of butter for the feta and avocado.

Variation 4: Similar to #2 except substitute the following for the feta and avocado: Empty half box of butter into a silver pot, along with a little salt, an abundant pinch of mace in powder, an average spoonful of spelt flour and two fresh yolks diluted in four spoonfuls of Muscat grape juice. Cook the sauce in a bain-marie. Must serve with a spoon and eat with a fork.

Copyright: Copyright on articles, recipes and images are jointly held by the Moscow Food Co-op and the respective contributors, except were otherwise noted.

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