For added convenience, these pretty little bundles of savory deliciousness may be wrapped several hours in advance. Simply cover and refrigerate until ready to bake.
In the final months of my second pregnancy, my legs were swollen to a rather extreme degree. My friends—and sometimes strangers—often noticed and offered advice based on personal experience.
I was frequently advised to elevate my legs, drink more water, and avoid salt. Some of the more offbeat advice included eating lots of asparagus.
When looking up planting details for this early spring perennial recently, I came across some interesting facts, one of which reminded me of this unusual recommendation. Apparently, asparagus is high in asparagine, an amino acid, which acts as a diuretic. It’s also a good source of folate, which is widely recommended before and during pregnancy.
Since I’m not qualified to offer medical advice, I thought I’d pass along some of the other asparagus facts I came across in my reading. Some of the details are instructive, from either a historical or backyard gardening perspective; the others are simply fun dinnertime trivia.
Did you know?
- Asparagus was first grown in Greece nearly 2,500 years ago. Ancient Greeks and Romans believed asparagus helped prevent bee stings and relieve toothaches.
- In the 1st century B.C., Romans became the first to preserve asparagus by freezing it in the Alps.
- The top asparagus-producing states are California, Washington and Michigan. China, however, ranks first in world asparagus production, while Peru is second and the United States is third.
- Asparagus is a member of the lily family, which also includes onions, leeks and garlic.
- Under ideal conditions, an asparagus spear can grow 10 inches in 24 hours.
- After harvesting, the spears grow into ferns, which produce red berries as well as the nutrients necessary for a healthy crop the following season.
- If started from seed, asparagus will take about 3 years to become fully productive.
- A well-cared-for asparagus patch will typically produce for 15 or more years.
- Asparagus contains nofat or cholesterol and just 3 calories per medium-size spear.
- Peak asparagus season is April through June.
- To best maintain freshness, refrigerate the stalks in a cup of shallow water with the tip ends pointing up.
Prosciutto-Wrapped Roasted Asparagus
Ingredients
- ½ piece of very thinly sliced prosciutto for each thick spear of asparagus (you may also bundle several thin spears)
- Asparagus (tough bottom ends snapped off)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450℉.
- Wrap the asparagus with a piece of prosciutto that has been cut long-ways, starting at the bottom of the spear and working your way up. Wrap as tightly as you can. Place the wrapped spears on a lightly greased baking sheet*, tucking the prosciutto ends underneath.
- Roast for 5-8 minutes, depending on thickness (which tends to vary greatly with asparagus). The spears should be slightly more al dente than you’d prefer to eat them at this point; check early by inserting the sharp point of a knife into one of the spears. Switch the oven setting to broil, and broil 1-2 minutes, rotating once, or until the prosciutto is crisp. Watch carefully so as not to burn.
- Remove from the oven and enjoy!
Notes
Trivia sources: modernfarmer.com, livescience.com, and allasparagus.com
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