Asparagus
was a favorite of Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson grew asparagus in his garden at
Monticello, he would have instructed his enslaved French trained chef, James Hemings,
to cook it his way for his American guest.
The
recipe appears in The City Tavern Cookbook, a collection of historical
recipes compiled by Walter Staib is executive chef at The City Tavern Restaurant in Philadelphia. The City
Tavern open in 1773, and played host to the Founding Fathers of our country
during the late 18th century. The original City Tavern was destroyed
in a fire and demolished in 1854. The tavern reopened in 1976, and in 1994 Restaurateur
Walter Staib took over as chef. Food continues to be prepared at the Tavern in
the traditional colonial style.
City
Tavern was the unofficial meeting place of the First Continental Congress. The
dishes in this cookbook were enjoyed by the likes of Thomas Jefferson, George
Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and even Benedict Arnold. Many of
the recipes are French in origin.
Research
Resource: The History Kitchen
Asparagus
is a good source of potassium, fiber, vitamin B6, vitamin A & C, thiamin
and folic acid. The latter is said to boost histamine production which has the
ability to get you in the mood.
Steamed
Asparagus
Copyright 2013, Christine’s Pantry. All rights
reserved.
Ingredients:
1
bunch asparagus ends trimmed
salt
and pepper, to taste
1/2
teaspoon garlic powder
Directions:
Dampened
4 paper towels with water. Spread out the paper towels. Place asparagus on 2
dampened towels, and top with remaining dampened towels. Place in microwave on
high, about 3 to 4 minutes, until crisp tender. Carefully remove asparagus from
microwave. Remove paper towels. Sprinkle asparagus with salt, pepper and garlic
powder. Transfer to serving plate. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Love asparagus & your food history :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much!
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