I've been writing about asparagus all week. I made an asparagus pasta last week and a parmesan roasted asparagus this week (recipe below). It's a delicate vegetable with a subtly sweet taste that's hard to beat. It's one of my husband's favorite vegetables and a great way to load him up with nutrients. One cup has more than your daily allowance of vitamin K. And it's a great source of folate, vitamin C, vitamin A, thiamin, niacin, tryphtophan, fiber, and vitamin B6.

Picking Out Fresh Asparagus

It's terribly important to choose the freshest asparagus possible to maintain its nutrients, which means purchasing it locally. Look for firm, thin stems with a deep green color. After you snap the ends, the cut ends should not be too woody. If you have the opportunity, sample white asparagus. White asparagus has a milder flavor than green asparagus. It's white because it's buried under soil to block chlorophyll production, thus resulting in a white plant, according to WHFoods.

Put your asparagus to use within about a day of purchasing it to get the most nutritional bang for your buck. You should also be sure to store the asparagus in a cold, dark place, like the back of your refrigerator. Folate is a nutrient that's sensitive to light so don't put the asparagus underneath the fridge light.

Parmesan Roasted Asparagus

I got this super simple recipe for asparagus from Food and Wine's Best of the Best, Volume 6 Cookbook. I love this cookbook because every year they take the best recipes from newly released cookbooks and compile them into one cookbook. This recipe for parmesan roasted asparagus came from Barefoot Contessa Family Style. It's super simple and delicious.

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