Sugar Snap Pea and Asparagus Saute

Two asparagus recipes in one week? The nerve of me! Well, I'm fully prepared to defend myself. Asparagus is in season in most parts of the country right now which means it's probably grown locally and a lot more fresh than if you bought it in January and it was flown here from who knows how far away. It's also likely a lot less expensive. When vegetables are in season, use them. A lot. In as many recipes as possible. And listen for which ones your kids love and then seek out new ways to prepare them. My son and daughter are going through a huge asparagus phase right now and you can be pretty sure that if I serve them something with asparagus in it, they're going to be totally excited to eat it.

And here's one of my husband's favorite asparagus tips (no pun intended): to keep your asparagus fresh until you are ready to use them, stand the spears straight up in a tall glass filled with an inch or two of water. Asparagus can lose moisture quickly and dry out and this method will really prolong it's shelf life so to speak. This time of year you can usually find 3-4 glasses with "asparagus bouquets" in our refrigerator.

This is a simple, fresh side dish that can be ready in 5 minutes or less. If it's in season, do you need a better reason?!