Cooking corner

Asparagus is in the flush of its season*, in optimum condition, inexpensive and plentiful. Here are a couple of serving ideas.
French fried Asparagus

Ingredients
500 gr. Asparagus cooked and well drained.
2 eggs
½ teaspoon salt
Pepper
cornflakes (or breadcrumbs)
butter or oil
Method
Beat together eggs salt and pepper. Dip each Asparagus spear into the mix and roll n the scrunched cornflakes .
Fry until golden brown
Quickly add to meal and serve.

Asparagus soufflé
Ingredients
2 ½ cups Asparagus cooked and diced
1 cup of the cooked Asparagus juice
3 tablespoons melted butter
3 tablespoons flour
4 eggs, separated
¾ teaspoon salt
Method
Blend butter and flour, add Asparagus juice gradually and cook slowly until thickened.
Beat egg yolks until thick and lemon coloured, add asparagus and salt and add to the sauce.
Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into the Asparagus mixture.
Pour into a greased soufflé dish or casserole.
Set in a pan of hot water and bake at 160 c oven for 45 minutes
Serves 6
*Levin Asparagus grower Geoff Lewis is picking six tonnes a day off his 80 hectares of asparagus. A team of 24 Samoans come to New Zealand to harvest his crop (there’s no unemployed in Levin?).