Veggie of the day... or week... or month...

So I have decided that there are SO many veggies out there that we never utilize, or never try because we don't know how to cook them or we get caught it the same groove of tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers, mushrooms... You get the point! There is so much more available to us then that, I think we could all get a little more creative if we had the proper instruction and information. That's were I come in.

I will alphabetically be posting a veggie, it may be bi-weekly or monthly depending on how creative I am feeling! I will also include nutrition information and benefits of said veggie. Before we know it we will be cooking with all the colors of the rainbow! If there is something in particular you have always wanted to try but are unsure of how to go about cooking it or are just scared to try something new, leave me a comment and I will do my best to accommodate your request!

I'm going to start out on (your guessed it) A. And the veggie of the month is:

Asparagus

Asparagus is a member of the Lily family which includes onions, leeks and garlic. Its peak growing season is from April-June and in this season when the conditions are just right it can grow 10 inches is a 24 hour period (sounds like my great dane). Asparagus is a nutrient dense food and contains high amounts of Folate, Vitamin B-6, A, C and Potassium. At just 4 calories a spear you get 3G of fiber per 5 oz serving. To purchase the best asparagus look for firm, fresh spears that are uniform in size and have closed tips, the larger in diameter the more tender it will be. There is over 5o varieties of asparagus one of with is albino and is white in color due to sun deprivation. Now to the cooking! I went simple for the first one, don't worry I will come up with some pretty grubbin' stuff!

Oven grilled asparagus:

1 lb Asparagus

1 Tbsp olive oil

4 Cloves garlic-chopped

Salt and pepper

Place your asparagus on a cookie sheet and toss with oil, garlic and seasoning. Bake in a 450 degree oven for 35-45 minutes depending on how big the spears are.

And here is the finished product. In perfect time for Halloween, you wont have to worry about any vampires when you eat this!