There are many ways to enjoy nature’s bounty of garden delights – raw or cooked, used in soups or stews, as a side dish or entrée. However you prefer them, one thing is certain – fresh, in-season vegetables always taste better than any imported variety.

Chef Natalie Sellers of the Fourth Street Bistro in Reno uses only locally grown, fresh organic produce. “If it’s grown locally, it will have better color, smell and taste,” says Sellers. “In-season vegetables are priced better, too.”

With the array of choices offered in most markets, it may seem difficult to know which vegetables are in season and which are not. Sellers recommends that the shopper consult easy-to-use reference guides such as, “Vegetables From Amaranth to Zucchini,” by Elizabeth Schneider, or “Chez Panisse Vegetables,” by Alice Waters for a complete list of what’s in season when and where.

To complement in-season vegetables, Sellers uses fresh herbs and seasonings. “Thyme, chives and Italian parsley are my favorites,” she says. “I like using thyme with green beans; dill, chervil or tarragon on asparagus; savory for cooking dried beans; and thyme and lemon on artichokes. Italian parsley and thyme are great in cooked black lentils.”

For salt substitutes, Sellers suggests using either lemon zest or lemon juice along with fresh herbs. However, for the most part, she says, don’t be afraid to salt.

“Salting the water before blanching vegetables brings out the flavor,” she explains. “If you cook vegetables without salt, they wind up tasting bland. You’ll actually tend to use more salt if it’s added after cooking.”

As a finish salt for cooked vegetables such as roasted asparagus – a savory side dish to barbecue entrées – Sellers uses Fleur de Sel de Camargue. This is a coarse salt that gives an attractive shimmer to the finished dish and also adds a bold flavor.

Another one of Sellers' favorite asparagus side dishes – Asparagus with Sauce Gribiche – has a crisp, tangy flavor with a hint of herbs in the sauce, a perfect complement to the natural sweetness of the asparagus.

 
Sellers offers a few inside tips on cooking asparagus:


• Begin by buying fresh asparagus in the market. Check that the tips are tightly grown, not showing any signs of flowering.

• Before cooking, rinse and peel the asparagus. Peeling asparagus removes any bitter taste. (The peels can later be used in soups.) The best way to peel asparagus is to lay the stem flat on the cutting board. Holding the tip between your fingers, peel from just below the tip to the end, using a vegetable peeler.

• Once peeled, place the asparagus in boiling, salted water. Salting the water brings out the flavor of the vegetable. Sellers recommends using kosher salt, as it doesn’t include any additives and has a good flavor.

• Boil the asparagus for about five minutes or until a sharp knife inserted comes out easily.

Susan M. Botich is a Minden-based freelance writer.

THE RECIPES 

Asparagus with Sauce Gribiche

Cook the asparagus.
Rinse in cold water and set aside.

2 hardboiled eggs
1 shallot, finely diced
2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley (may also use fresh
chervil and/or tarragon, if it’s in season)
2 tablespoons chives
Zest of 1 lemon (use microplane zester for very fine lemon zest)
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and chopped
2 gherkins (Cornichons) finely diced
1/2 to 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Except for the hardboiled eggs, blend all ingredients.
Separate the yolk from the white of the hardboiled eggs.
Chop yolks very fine and stir into the mixture.
Chop the cooked egg whites and stir into the mixture.
(Finished sauce is meant to be served at room temperature, but the sauce will keep in the refrigerator for several days.)
To serve: Arrange asparagus lengthwise on plate. Pour Sauce Gribiche generously over the center of asparagus.

Roasted Asparagus
( A deliciously easy recipe)

Asparagus
Virgin olive oil
Directions
Rinse asparagus and let dry. Arrange on a cookie sheet, brush with extra virgin olive oil and place in a 450-degree oven. Check every few minutes. Once the asparagus is browned slightly on top, turn and allow it to brown on all sides (about eight minutes). Remove and place on a serving platter. Sprinkle with coarse salt and serve while hot.