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Lifestyle assistant editor Chris Copley shows his bacon-wrapped asparagus and sugared asparagus, two tasty recipes that might entice reluctant kids to try eating asparagus. (By Rowan Copley / May 22, 2012) |
Asparagus is a vegetable made for kids.
Like bananas, asparagus stalks have a playful shape. Like carrots, asparagus may be eaten raw or cooked. Like broccoli, asparagus has two distinct parts — a fleshy stalk and a tip with more flavor.
And like sweet potatoes or beets, asparagus can be taken in either a savory or sweet direction.
Start slow
Asparagus stalks are the fresh shoots of a plant that, when full grown, resembles a lacy Christmas tree with red berries. Full-grown asparagus is woody and unpalatable, but young stalks, harvested when no more than 10 inches tall, are delicate and mild.
But it's a green vegetable and sometimes fibrous, so children might hesitate to try it.
So how to proceed?
Missy Chase Lapine, the New York-based author of the Sneaky Chef cookbook series, suggests hiding vegetables.
She encourages parents to puree vegetables or fruits and "sneak" small amounts of produce into dishes kids love, such as baked goods, lasagna, smoothies or mac and cheese.
Part of Lapine's goal is simply to get kids to eat more vegetables.
"First, when you are sneaking them, you're suddenly transforming something they don't like into something they love. Cauliflower included in meatballs or pizza sauce. You're making food kid friendly," she said.
Once kids know they are eating vegetables, they might also realize they don't object to the flavor as much as they thought.
"There's a palate acclimation. Their palate gets used to these flavors," Lapine said. "And what might seem bitter at first begins to seem normal."
Make food approachable
One key to getting your child to try asparagus without hiding it is to cook it minimally. Barb Tritle displays and markets fresh produce at Blue Mountain Farm's stall at the Hagerstown City Farmers Market. Tritle said overcooked asparagus gets grayish and mushy — not exactly enticing. For anybody.
Asparagus may be cooked in several methods — steamed, roasted, boiled, grilled, microwaved — but make sure to cook until just tender, not overcooked.
Another key to making food interesting is to make it look interesting. Classy restaurants arrange food carefully on a plate to engage with diners. Savvy home cooks can do the same.
Some ideas:
Like bananas, asparagus stalks have a playful shape. Like carrots, asparagus may be eaten raw or cooked. Like broccoli, asparagus has two distinct parts — a fleshy stalk and a tip with more flavor.
And like sweet potatoes or beets, asparagus can be taken in either a savory or sweet direction.
Start slow
Asparagus stalks are the fresh shoots of a plant that, when full grown, resembles a lacy Christmas tree with red berries. Full-grown asparagus is woody and unpalatable, but young stalks, harvested when no more than 10 inches tall, are delicate and mild.
But it's a green vegetable and sometimes fibrous, so children might hesitate to try it.
So how to proceed?
Missy Chase Lapine, the New York-based author of the Sneaky Chef cookbook series, suggests hiding vegetables.
She encourages parents to puree vegetables or fruits and "sneak" small amounts of produce into dishes kids love, such as baked goods, lasagna, smoothies or mac and cheese.
Part of Lapine's goal is simply to get kids to eat more vegetables.
"First, when you are sneaking them, you're suddenly transforming something they don't like into something they love. Cauliflower included in meatballs or pizza sauce. You're making food kid friendly," she said.
Once kids know they are eating vegetables, they might also realize they don't object to the flavor as much as they thought.
"There's a palate acclimation. Their palate gets used to these flavors," Lapine said. "And what might seem bitter at first begins to seem normal."
Make food approachable
One key to getting your child to try asparagus without hiding it is to cook it minimally. Barb Tritle displays and markets fresh produce at Blue Mountain Farm's stall at the Hagerstown City Farmers Market. Tritle said overcooked asparagus gets grayish and mushy — not exactly enticing. For anybody.
Asparagus may be cooked in several methods — steamed, roasted, boiled, grilled, microwaved — but make sure to cook until just tender, not overcooked.
Another key to making food interesting is to make it look interesting. Classy restaurants arrange food carefully on a plate to engage with diners. Savvy home cooks can do the same.
Some ideas:
- Make raw or cooked asparagus puree. You can hide this in a soup or pasta sauce, or serve as a side dish with butter, salt and pepper, like mashed potatoes.
- Arrange thin stalks like a starburst in the center of a pizza.
- Cut stalks in half and "plant" the tips in a dollop of thick cheese sauce, like a forest of mini-trees.
- Use asparagus stalks as a fence to contain a sauce on a child's plate, or as dividers between foods.
- Asparagus is also a vegetable — cooked or raw — that food etiquette says can be eaten with your fingers.
