THE British asparagus season started on May 1 and runs until the end of June. May has 31 days, and June has only 30, so that is a maximum of only 61 days in which to gorge yourself on one of the finest vegetables known to humanity.

Two days have gone, so that makes 59. Worse, given that you may not consider asparagus a suitable breakfast ingredient, that leaves only 118 possible meals based on asparagus. I say possible, because you may not always be able to find asparagus in the occasional deskside sandwich or boardroom lunch, dim sum feast, fast food restaurant or tray of airline food.

Any sane and normal person would settle for asparagus no fewer than three times a week in season, so assuming that you are sane and normal, that gives you 24 asparagus-eating opportunities ahead, as of today.

To get you started, I am devoting this week’s Dish columns to five different ways with asparagus, starting with today’s recipe for a simple warm asparagus salad with parmesan shavings, in which the slender stems team beautifully with broad beans, peas and mangetout.

Look out for tomorrow’s asparagus soup with crab toasts, Wednesday’s wok-fried chicken with asparagus and shitake mushrooms, Thursday’s asparagus risotto with scallops, and Friday’s oven-roasted asparagus and tomatoes with sizzling haloumi cheese.

At the very least, sit down to a feast of tender, perfectly cooked asparagus dressed with nothing more than a nob of butter, a little Maldon sea salt and some freshly ground black pepper. But do hurry. Time is running out.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 10 min
Serves 4

500g asparagus
100g podded broad beans
100g podded peas
100g mangetout
Wedge of parmesan
1tbsp mint or basil leaves





Dressing:



1tbsp walnut oil
1tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1tbsp white wine vinegar
1tsp Dijon mustard
Sea salt and pepper

METHOD

Bring a pot of simmering salted water to the boil. Wash the asparagus and cut off and discard the woody ends. Peel the ends if thick. Simmer the asparagus, broad beans, peas and mangetout for 5 minutes or until tender. Using a vegetable peeler, slice the parmesan into thin shavings, allowing the fragile shavings to drop on to a sheet of paper.

In a large bowl, whisk the walnut oil, extra virgin olive oil, white wine vinegar, mustard sea salt and pepper together. Drain the vegetables, shake dry, and toss in the dressing while still hot. Add the mint or basil leaves, and turn out on to a large platter. Gently scatter the parmesan shavings on top.

jill.dupleix@thetimes.co.uk

www.timesonline.co.uk/foodandwine — for previous recipes from T2

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