Spring is hands down my favorite season. In Charlotte, it begins with the first crocus sighting, then the cherry trees burst into bloom, and before you know it, those Bradford Pear trees (love ’em or hate ’em) blanket the streets in soft white petals. That’s when I know it—spring asparagus is just around the corner.
Before we go full throttle into hulling strawberries, tomato-slicing and watermelon-seed-spitting, let’s linger in the magic of early spring; because the first taste of the season is most definitely asparagus.
Stalk Up While You Can: Spring Asparagus is Here
Just this week, I took a trip out to Seven Sisters Farm in Denton, NC, to visit Mike and Janice Fine and check in on their 2025 asparagus crop. Spoiler alert: it’s absolutely thriving. But, to my surprize, it doesn’t grow quite the way I imagined. I had pictured tall, orderly rows of green stalks swaying in the breeze.
What I found instead was a wide, sandy field, dotted here and there with asparagus spears popping up like botanical surprises. It sort of reminded me of the time I visited the Venus Fly Trap Botanical Gardens in Wilmington, but that’s a story for another day ( read more here) Back in Denton, Mike explained that this scattered growth pattern means they can harvest daily and always have a bumper crop to bring to market. Win-win!
You’ll find Seven Sisters Farm on Saturdays at the Charlotte Regional Farmers Market (Building A, Yorkmont Road) and Uptown Farmers Market In Charlotte (on Davidson Street). During the week, they also stock their Farm Store in Denton NC, well worth the trip.
Asparagus is one of my favorite first foods of spring. In addition to the Parmesan Popover recipe below (perfect with asparagus soup or salad!), I’m also including a new recipe: Roasted Asparagus Cream Soup with Local NC Grilled Shrimp. It’s the same one I shared in the Uptown Farmers Market newsletter this week. You can find all of my past recipes for the market at that link, too.
A Few Tips for Cooking Asparagus Like a Pro:
- A stalk of asparagus is just like a fresh flower: keep it in water to stay tender.
- If you’re buying local and cooking same-day, no need to trim—eat it all!
- If it’s a few days old, bend the end. It’ll naturally snap where tender meets tough.
- Don’t toss the tough ends – save them to make veggie stock!
How I Cook It:
Sometimes I steam fresh asparagus for just a few minutes to serve hot or cold. But truth is, my go-to method of cooking these tender green stalks is to Roast or Grill. That’s it. Single layer, 400°F for 8 minutes. Or on hot preheated grill on a grill pan or foil grilling sheet for about 5 minutes. Done and delicious.
Quick Asparagus Recipe Ideas:
- Berry Asparagus Salad
Toss roasted asparagus with bite-sized berries, orange zest, fresh mint, a drizzle of local honey or balsamic, and serve over a bed of greens with—you guessed it, a popover. - Sunny-Side Egg & Asparagus Toast
Roast asparagus, fry a local egg sunny side up, so that the yolk is still runny; and serve drizzled lightly with dark sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds. Or make it a melt with sharp cheddar and locally grown wild mushrooms on toast. - Asparagus Bruschetta
Top roasted asparagus with chopped tomatoes, peppers, olives, basil, olive oil, and a dusting of Parmesan. Use fresh or sun-dried tomatoes depending on the season. - Cold Roasted Asparagus with Green Goddess Dressing
Chop 2 anchovy fillets, rinsed & patted dry and mix into 1/2 cup of your favorite mayonnaise and 1 cup of Greek plain yogurt. Stir in 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh Italian parsley leaves; 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh or dried tarragon leaves; 2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh chives; 2 Tbsp, freshly squeezed lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper as needed. Place all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender with a rubber spatula as needed. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as needed. Refrigerate in a container with a tightfitting lid for up to 1 week. Serve drizzled over the roasted asparagus or use as a dipping sauce for fresh cold raw asparagus and a mix of other fresh local veggies.
Heidi’s Parmesan Popovers ( These go well with any Spring or Summer salad or Soup)
Light, fluffy, and totally addictive.
- 1 ½ cups organic all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 ½ tsp fat (olive oil, melted butter, bacon fat—your call)
- 1 local egg
- 1 ½ cups organic whole milk
- Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Preheat oven to 475°F. Grease your muffin or popover pan (unless using silicone), and heat it in the oven for 2 minutes.
Whisk together flour, salt, eggs, milk, and fat until smooth. Fill hot pan cups less than halfway, sprinkle tops with Parmesan, and bake for 30 minutes.
Enjoy warm or cold—preferably with a spoonful of soup or a forkful of asparagus salad.
Cream of Roasted Asparagus Soup
Ingredients
- 2 Bunches fresh asparagus from the market
- 1 Cup plain Whole Milk Greek Yogurt
- 1 Cup whole milk
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2-3 Tbsp. fresh minced chives
- Local Grilled Shrimp, peeled and skewered, three to a skewer
Instructions
-
Place the asparagus in a single layer on a grill pan or griddle and grill
until bright green and slighted browned.
-
Remove from heat and chop finely.
-
In a large bowl, stir together the chopped asparagus with the yogurt,
milk, salt and pepper to taste, and lemon zest.
-
Puree with stick blender (or put it all in a blender or a food processor and blend until smooth.
-
Refrigerate until serving time.
-
Taste and adjust seasonings if needed
For the Local Grilled Shrimp
-
Meanwhile, peel ( leaving the tails on) and then butterfly the fresh shrimp by making a cut down the back of each shrimp.
-
Marinate the shrimp in a mix of !/2 cup lime
or lemon juice, 2 Tbsp. hot pepper jelly, 3 Tbsp. soy sauce, 2 Tbsp. dark
sesame oil and ½ cup water.
-
Allow the shrimp to marinate for at least 30 minutes. Skewer and pan
grill.
-
Serve the soup, hot or cold, topped with a sprinkling of chives and a
skewer of three shrimp.
Want to shop local, eat well, and celebrate the flavors of the season? Stick around—I’ve got a lot more recipes and farm visits coming your way.