Asparagus ends - Any use for them?

[Rita Y]

I just snapped the ends from 2 1/4 pounds of beautiful asparagus. They seem too fresh and crisp to throw away but I can't think of anything I could do with them except maybe chop and simmer them in water and what? to make a broth for an asparagus soup base. Anyone have any ideas?

Rita

 

[Len Dennis]

Yup, mostly broth or soup.

Found this (googled for "what to do with asparagus butts")

Simmer about 2.5lbs of asparagus ends in chicken stock until soft.
Saute 1c shallots and 1c leeks with butter until tender.
Add 1tbls minced garlic, 1/4tsp salt & white pepper for about a minute.
Add to asparagus and chicken stock and simmer for 20 minutes.

Purée all ingredients and force through a sieve to get rid of any tough strings.
Add 1/2c heavy cream before serving or if you are going to store it, do not add the cream.

Soup can be frozen for up to 6 months.

After the white pepper, not sure what the "for about a minute" means==>maybe stir?? It's still on the simmer. Don't know how much chicken stock but I would hazard a guess at 5-6 cups worth as 2 1/2 lb of butts is quite a bit of 'gus.

And here's a link to another broth:
http://eatingrichly.com/05/asparagus-soup-what-to-do-with-asparagus-ends/ The recipe is half way down that page.

 

[Rita Y]

Very nice, Len. Thanks for your input. The second one looked very appetizing. Actually, I have about 12 ounces of ends from 2 1/4 pounds of asparagus. I might have to freeze them and add the ends from another batch of asparagus for enough to make it worthwhile.

Rita

 

[K Kruger]

I make sauce for pasta out of them. Simmer in the pasta cooking water till very soft; remove. Add the pasta to the water to cook. Meanwhile, purée the asparagus ends till VERY smooth, adding chicken stock to facilitate. (Tamis if necessary.) Add lemon zest and a little juice. Season with herbs of your choice. Purée again, adding the flesh of a ripe avocado for flavor and texture. Drain pasta, reserving some of the cooking water. Toss with sauce over low heat, adding some reserved water as needed. Adjust salt and pepper. Plate, garnish, serve.

 

[Steve Petrone]

Kevin, every time you post...you add so much. Adding the avocado-something that never would have occurred to me. Perhaps some diced fresh tomato on top.

My guess there are other veggies that we might not think to use that would work equally well with pasta. Plus, why not use veggies in stock for rice?

 

[K Kruger]

not sure what the "for about a minute" means==>maybe stir??

Yes. One would want to keep the garlic from browning.

Tomato makes a nice garnish here, Steve, along with a chiffonade of basil (or just a whole leaf or two). Cauliflower purée is a good base for a pasta sauce - actually many veg purées are.

As for rice, I usually cook it is one stock or another, rather than plain water. To finish I will sometimes add finely diced or minced vegetables for the last few minutes of cooking. The small size of the vegs means a very short cook time. Toasted nuts make a good addition too.

 

[Rita Y]

Thank you! I have some fresh pasta on the menu for next week and the asparagus sauce will be on it. Who else would have thought about avocado? I can almost taste it!

Rita

 

[John Sp]

We always save pieces of vegetables (onion skins ends, carrot ends & peels, tomato pieces, celery ends, etc.) in a large Ziploc in the freezer. We also save chicken giblets, wing tips, carcasses of whole roasted birds in the freezer as well. After a few weeks, this becomes our 'Chicken Stock Kit'. We make homemade stock about once or twice a quarter. We freeze this in storage containers of various sizes, and in ice cube trays. We then use the frozen stock to flavor our dishes. If we are making gumbo, Hoppin' John, or red beans and rice, we use a couple of the large containers. If we are making a pot of green beans or some rice for dinner, we add a couple of 'chicken cubes' for flavor. Asparagus tips add a great richness to chicken stock and I always add them to our Chicken Stock Kit when we eat it.

 

[Rita Y]

John, we think alike. Thanks for putting your method out there. Others should take note....John has a great approach for using the freezer for making flavorful stock to be used in many ways.

Thanks, John. A lot of us are into regional cuisine. It's good to see someone from Louisiana who can give us tips for authentic local cooking.

Rita