Over the past few months, there were a bunch of green bean recipes that I wanted to try out, as these legumes are a vegetable I enjoy eating. Unfortunately, we were not able to proceed as planned.
It turns out, in Chicagoland and across the Midwest, green beans were scarce this year primarily due to extreme and unseasonable weather events during both the planting and growing seasons. The unusually rainy and cold April and May prevented Midwestern farmers from planting crops during the optimal window of time. Some fields could not be planted at all due to standing water. Then Summer hit, bringing intense heat and drought conditions punctuated by intense, heavy rainfall and flooding, both of which are particularly damaging to sensitive vegetable crops, leading to more rapid crop maturation but with smaller yields. The weather problems were compounded by additional widespread issues that impacted vegetable production and distribution.
After our numerous attempts to obtain green beans failed, we switched the game plan and substituted asparagus for the green beans. Luckily, the gamble paid off and we found a new way to prepare asparagus, a vegetable which is easily found year-round in all of our local stores.
Asparagus with Orange-Ginger Sauce
Asparagus with Orange-Ginger Sauce (adapted from tasteofhome.com) Total Time Required: 30 minutes, Makes: 8 servings
Ingredients:
- 1-1/2 pounds asparagus, trimmed
- 1 clementine, peeled and segmented
- 1/4 cup chopped green onions
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh gingerroot
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and halved
- 1 teaspoon packed brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon white vinegar
Directions:
Steam the asparagus in an asparagus steamer for 10 minutes.
Steam the asparagus.
While the asparagus cooks, combine the clementine, onions, soy sauce, olive oil, gingerroot, garlic, brown sugar, salt, pepper, and vinegar in the cup of a wand blender. Process until well blended.
Use a wand blender to combine the sauce ingredients.
Remove the spears from the steamer as soon as they are done and transfer them to a serving dish.
Transfer the cooked spears to a serving dish.
Pour the dressing mixture over the asparagus and toss to coat. Serve immediately.
Add the sauce to the asparagus and serve.
Orange-ginger sauce adds bold flavor to steamed asparagus! ~Linda
Asparagus with Orange-Ginger Sauce (adapted from tasteofhome.com) Total Time Required: 30 minutes, Makes: 8 servings
Ingredients:
- 1-1/2 pounds asparagus, trimmed
- 1 clementine, peeled and segmented
- 1/4 cup chopped green onions
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh gingerroot
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and halved
- 1 teaspoon packed brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon white vinegar
Directions:
Steam the asparagus in an asparagus steamer for 10 minutes. Remove the spears from the steamer as soon as they are done and transfer them to a serving dish.
While the asparagus cooks, combine the clementine, onions, soy sauce, olive oil, gingerroot, garlic, brown sugar, salt, pepper, and vinegar in the cup of a wand blender. Process until well blended. Pour the dressing mixture over the asparagus and toss to coat. Serve immediately.