:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/BHG-fat-and-skinny-asparagus-6b2df4108980490bb2e8ec489ff77186.jpg)
Posted on 12/01/2025 5:54:31 AM PST by Diana in Wisconsin
It’s a big room with a screen and it’s dark. No one is allowed to talk, and you can eat all the candy you want while you sit in the dark! :)
Fat vs. Skinny Asparagus: Which Should You Pick?
Fresh asparagus, harvested from your garden or found at a farmer’s market, is a beloved emblem of spring. As the season progresses from early April, slender young stalks often give way to thicker, woodier spears. When shopping, it’s natural to wonder whether fat or skinny asparagus is the better choice. Discover our food experts’ recommendations on the ideal spear size and gain insights for making the most of this versatile springtime favorite.
Should You Pick Fat or Skinny Asparagus?
Choosing the size of your asparagus stalks ultimately comes down to personal preference. There’s no right or wrong choice. However, our BHG food editors and Test Kitchen pros unanimously prefer medium-sized asparagus spears for their flavor and versatility. If you’re limited by what your grocery store or local farmers market has in stock, here are some benefits to both fat and skinny stalks.
Thick Asparagus Spears: Thicker asparagus tends to be juicier than thin spears but can also be a bit woody at the bottom. Snap off the base and give the stalk a few swipes with a peeler to remove any tough fibers. Fat spears also have hearty, crisp centers for a bit of extra crunch in each bite. And they’re easy to shave or slice into mealtime action. We like to use fat asparagus spears for grilling, shaving into salads, and pureeing into soups. “I like to use larger asparagus spears for grilling as they’re less likely to fall through the grates,” says Juliana Hale, senior brand manager, BHG Test Kitchen.
Thin Asparagus Spears: Slender asparagus spears are like green beans, both in texture and cooking time. They are generally tender and need no peeling once the bases are snapped off. They can be tricky to roll on grill racks and are easiest to grill in a basket. Jessica Christensen, senior food editor, Premium Publishing, likes to use thinner asparagus for quick sautéing and steaming. She recommends adding them to salads, omelets, and soups.
The chuck roast, using the brisket recipe you posted, has 2.5 hours to go. I hope I can make it that long without getting into it - it smells wonderful.
My cousin is coming to visit, probably next week. He’s a bachelor, doesn’t cook. He told me the casserole I made the last time he was here was the best he’s ever had. No pressure, just top that next week LOL!
I am making the chicken rice casserole everyone likes so much. No dairy so I can eat it & not worry about GI issues. Looking for sides .... saw Nagi’s Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots - they’re roasted. At the store, the 1 lb. package of carrots was pathetic- small, broken, sad carrots. I need 2 lbs. for the recipe so I got the 5 lb. bag (no 2 lb.). The carrots are large & nice looking. I am going to make a batch & see how it turns out - would be a great side dish (colorful, too). I’m not decided on a green side - Nagi has a lot of options that look interesting. I prefer ‘make ahead’. The carrots can be made ahead & reheated in the microwave.
ANY roasted vegetables are perfect as a side with anything. Love them so much!
A few weeks back, Mom brought a 5# bag of carrots for, ‘Her Mule’ (Ithaca loves her, and ONLY her...beyond all reason!) but she said, ‘Oh you two can have some, too!’ LOL!
It took up the entire veggie drawer in the fridge! ‘Stew’ (steer) won’t eat carrots, but he loves apples, pears and Milk Bones - go figure!
Cow Chronicles: Beau helped run cattle again, yesterday. They did 80 Black Angus Heifers. They got a pregnancy check, the needed shots and a squirt in the mouth with Ivermectin for worms - or whatever! All but 5 of the Heifers are pregnant - which is some sort of record.
80 Heifers and 4 Bulls? Those boys have been busy, LOL!
Cow Chronicles:
I definitely counted 12 calves today! One of the moms decided to check out the (empty) grain trough. For some reason, 7 calves followed her, running, chasing & playing. On the other side of the pasture, more sedate mamas were standing around & I counted 5 babies with them. There could be a couple more, but at least 12 :-) I still cannot tell if White Face has a calf. Funny Face blends in enough that I can’t pick her out unless she’s near the fence.
Asparagus looks good. Will try to pick some up at Costco next time I go.
Another gardening note: I sowed 12 seed geraniums a few days ago...Pinto Premium Deep Red. Getting an early start on them so they will bloom sooner in the outdoor growing season. I used another clear plastic “clam shell” type food container as a tiny greenhouse. This worked well last winter for several types of seeds. Put ‘em in a bright window and above a heat register, and we’ll see how many days it takes to germinate them.
In 2 or 3 weeks, I’ll sow pansies in my Park Seed BioDome. I’ll set up the grow-lights for that.
🌷🌷🌷spring will come, eventually🪻🪻🪻
Checked my roast with an hour to go - it is not going to be ‘buttah’ in an hour. I cranked it to “high” & I am sure it will get whipped into submission before midnight :-)
I just ordered a pair of Duck & Fish Women’s Neoprene Ankle Hunting & Work Boots. My brother had the men’s boots he was walking around wearing in the snow when we were in Snowville. He LOVES them - got them on Amazon. Amazon did not have it in women’s sizes so I checked the Duck & Fish website. They had a women’s boot like the men’s, on sale for $12 less & free delivery. I have a pair of knee high neoprene boots, but the majority of the time, I don’t need anything that high. All my garden slogs & a cheapie pair of rubber mid-high boots from Tractor Supply are totally worn out. These boots will be “Merry Christmas to me!” They haven’t sent me a shipping notice yet - more snow forecast for Friday (trace - 3”) & I think I heard something about snow maybe next week, too. Hopefully, the boots won’t take too long to get here - I’ll probably be ‘living’ in them when they do arrive.
Link to boots if anyone is interested:
https://www.ducknfish.com/product-page/duck-fish-women-s-neoprene-ankle-hunting-work-boots
I took the leftover meat from the roast and made, what we call, ‘Meat Paste.’ Sounds appetizing, does it not? LOL!
Into the Cuisinart - meat, cut into bite-sized pieces with a squirt of, ‘Sandwich Pal’ which is a mayo and horseradish combo. Whirl it until the meat is all chopped up.
I then put it in a bowl and added dried chives (from the garden) dried onion flakes (The Spice House) some more Mayo, additional prepared Horseradish, S & P. Mix it all together to the consistency you like and it’s ready for crackers or as a sandwich filling.
I think our ‘Brunch’ tomorrow will be a wrap with the ‘Meat Paste’ filling, lettuce, shredded carrots and shredded radishes and a bowl of soup. Easy Peasy. :)
You can make this with any leftover roasted meat. Mom made it with leftover Beef Roast or Pork Roast. I remember this as being one of Dad’s, ‘Favorite Things.’
It’s so German, LOL! Don’t you DARE waste a morsel of food! ;)
I have a white Geranium that I brought inside when things started going South this Fall and she is blooming her fool head off right now.
So is Miss Peach, my Thanksgiving/Christmas/Valentines Cactus.
I just cut the crockpot off - the roast is finally waving the white flag.
I like the meat paste idea & will probably do that tomorrow. It will be a tasty sandwich spread.
The roasted carrot recipe will probably get a whirl tomorrow, too. I’m trying to break the bad habit of making a new recipe for the first time when company is coming. The cousin is coming the 18th for lunch so there’s time to try it out.
I took a look. I wish they showed the sole/tread. I need something for snow and ice.
You could call it meat pate.
My brother was walking in snow & on ice (where melt water refroze) with his boots & wasn’t slipping around at all. I ordered a pair because I was so impressed with his boots plus I badly needed something waterproof.
I don’t know how long the price will be reduced, but I would be happy to send you a sole/tread picture when I get my pair.
My best bloomer geranium this year was one I bought in New Berlin at a market near my friend’s house. It is Fantasia Orange and it had so many flowers all year.
I have a white with hot pink geranium I got 2 years ago at Kopke’s in Oregon, called Pink Ice and it has the prettiest flowers.
Aren’t the Thanksgiving cactuses nice, my biggest one, a red, is blooming great now. My smaller ones are trying but not blooming as much as the red one.
Maybe ‘Pate’ was the original name and it got changed through the generations? ;)
I’m in the market for a Yellow bloomer to go with ‘Miss Peach.’ I need a bigger family room, though!
For a while I was enamored with the Scented Geraniums - but I got over it, LOL!
Still nuts for Jade plants (I have three varieties) and the indoor Begonias. ;)
Eons ago, when I was in school, mom made our lunches which was a sandwich of some sort, an apple or maybe an orange or grapes, & a cookie or two. My favorite sandwich was Underwood Deviled Ham ... I loved the stuff. Underwood also has a ‘Roast Beef Spread’ (Premium Quality!). When I get out my processor today & chop up the chuck roast from yesterday, I will have my version of Roast Beef Spread :-)
We just finished our Brunch. The wraps with the lettuce, Pate, carrots and radishes were really good. Homemade Potato Soup, too.
I still have SO MANY POTATOES from my generous neighbor...
Tonight is Leftovers, so whatever meat is in the fridge from previous meals, a tossed salad and probably some oven roasted potatoes...just to use them up.
Mom: I never made that Pear Tart. We don’t need the calories. We ate some of the pears fresh, then the rest went to Ithaca and Stew for treats. They both loved them.
Thev yellow cactus are the most rare. I did see a few at Home Depot a couple of years ago.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.