Asparagus: these succulent stalks seduced a king. Here's how to serve them up in royal fashion.(medicinal value)

Asparagus spears' flavor and reputed medicinal qualities--which ranged from preventing bee stings and aiding heart ailments to acting as an aphrodisiac--caught the fancy of the Greeks and the Romans. Even French monarch Louis XIV's gardener grew asparagus indoors so the king could enjoy it year-round. Today, we enjoy this nutrient-rich vegetable simply because it tastes so good.

Most asparagus is green, but you might also find white and purple spears. White asparagus is simply the green variety grown without light. Purple asparagus is usually larger and sweeter than the green variety; it has a creamy green interior and tends to lose its royal color when cooked.

Select odor-free asparagus with dry, tightly closed tips and stalks that are uniform in size to ensure even cooking. Stalk size is not a sign of tenderness or age--jumbo spears generally are just as tender as pencil-thin ones.

Sooner is better when it comes to eating fresh asparagus. If you have to store it for a day or two, wrap the ends in damp paper towels, put the spears in a paper bag and set them in the refrigerator's crisper. Before cooking, gently wash the stalks and snap off the bottoms where they break naturally.

Instead of drowning fresh asparagus in hollandaise sauce, steam it over boiling water for 2-6 minutes or microwave it, with some water, on high for 2-3 minutes per cup of asparagus. You can also roast it on a baking sheet: Drizzle the spears with olive oil, add pinches of salt and pepper and bake on the top rack at 400F until lightly browned and barely tender, about 15 minutes.

Asparagus is great on its own but especially in spring, when it's abundant and loses its luxury price, don't be afraid to cook with it--omelettes, open-faced sandwiches, pasta, etc. However, no matter how you serve asparagus, don't overcook it. Tender-crisp (not soggy) spears have the best flavor, and will make your royal family forever fans of these succulent spears.

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