Grazing with Gary: Asparagus recipes your tummy will love

My guess is you all missed the Asparagus Festival this past weekend. The Asparagus Festival has always been the beginning of festival season and all the fun weekends of celebrations. Not everyone loves asparagus, and if this is you, you can skip this week's recipes. If you're like me and love asparagus, you're in the right place. Now, I cannot bring myself to buy a $14 asparagus margarita and cannot see me drinking one on a dare. But let's get down on some recipes that will delight the tummy. First, the traditional fried asparagus is a must make. The batter on this asparagus is just right to cradle the stalk. Second, this soup is vegan, but for those of you not vegan, you will still love this soup. You can also serve this warm or cold for the upcoming warm weekend. Last, my casserole is an easy recipe and a perfect side dish for any dinner. I love to serve this with the leg of lamb from two weeks ago. Hope you all have a great week. Happy Cooking!! Fried Asparagus Ingredients Oil, as needed for frying1/3 cup beer, cold and flat1 large egg white6 tablespoons flour1/4 cup cornstarch1/2 teaspoon baking powder1/2 teaspoon black pepper1/2 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon baking soda1 1/2 pounds asparagus, cleaned and trimmed Directions 1. Heat 1 inch of oil (peanut oil is best, but canola or vegetable oil will work) in a skillet over medium-high heat. 2. In the meantime, whisk together beer, egg white, flour, cornstarch, baking powder, black pepper, salt and baking soda in an 8x8-inch or 9x9-inch (or a pan that will accommodate the asparagus spears nicely) baking dish until thoroughly mixed. 3. Dip asparagus spears individually into the batter and fry for about 2 minutes or until golden brown. 4. Dust generously with grated parmesan cheese or dip in mayonnaise. 5. Enjoy! Vegan Asparagus Soup Ingredients 2 tablespoons plus ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving1 shallot, chopped1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger1 russet potato, peeled and chopped (1 ½ cups)Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper1 ½ pounds asparagus, ends trimmed, stalks chopped (3 cups)1 cup packed cilantro leaves (from about 1 large bunch)2 cups packed baby spinachLemon wedges, for serving Directions Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add shallot and ginger and cook until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add potato and 4 cups water. Season with salt and pepper and simmer until potatoes are just tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Add asparagus and continue to simmer until vegetables are tender, 8 to 10 minutes more. Reserve one cup liquid from pot and transfer the rest of the mixture to a blender; let cool slightly. Add cilantro and spinach to blender and purée until smooth, adding reserved broth as needed for desired consistency. Return soup to pot and stir in remaining 1/4 cup oil. Season with salt and pepper and serve warm or chilled, with a drizzle of oil, more pepper and lemon wedges on the side. Asparagus Casserole Ingredients 2 bunches asparagus (about 2 pounds), cut into 2-inch pieces (about 6 cups)4 thick slices bacon (about 4 ounces), chopped (about 1 cup)2 tablespoons unsalted butter¼ cup finely chopped onion (from ½ a small onion)Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepperCoarse salt and freshly ground black pepper3 tablespoons all-purpose flour2 teaspoons Dijon mustard2 cups whole milk4 large hard-boiled eggs, halved lengthwise1 cup butter crackers (such as Ritz), coarsely crushed (about 2 ounces)1 cup shredded gruyere cheese (about 2 ½ ounces) Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in the upper third. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil; prepare an ice bath. Add asparagus and cook until just tender and bright green, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to ice bath; drain. Return pot to medium heat. Add bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes; remove bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate. Discard rendered fat or reserve for another use. Add butter to same pot and heat over medium until foamy. Add onion, nutmeg, cayenne and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in flour and cook, stirring occasionally, until toasted and fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in mustard, then gradually whisk in milk and bring to a boil, whisking often. Reduce to a simmer and cook until thickened slightly, about 5 minutes. (You should have about 2 cups béchamel.) If not using right away, press a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the sauce to keep a film from forming. Spread 1 cup béchamel evenly across the bottom of a 9-inch-square baking dish. Reserving 1 cup for topping, sprinkle remaining asparagus over béchamel. Arrange reserved bacon in an even layer on top, followed by the sliced eggs, cracker crumbs and remaining béchamel. Sprinkle the reserved 1 cup asparagus down the center of the casserole, then sprinkle the cheese evenly on top and season with black pepper. Bake until sauce is bubbling, about 25 minutes. Turn oven to broil setting and continue to cook until golden-brown on top, 3 to 4 minutes more. Let cool 15 minutes on a wire rack before serving.