Fun food facts
- Asparagus alert! Asparagus is ready to eat in Ontario in May and June. Most of the asparagus grown in Ontario is green. The white kind is grown in less than 1% of land used for growing asparagus.
- Nibble on this: Asparagus is a source of vitamins A and C – both are a great way to boost your body’s germ-fighting power.
Brain teaser
The word asparagus means “spout” or “shoot” in Greek. The asparagus is related to which flower?
- rose
- iris
- lily
Answer: c
Eat it up!
Awesome asparagus pizza
Makes 8 slices.
Takes 25 minutes.
You’ll need an adult’s help.
You'll need:
- 1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil
- 1 Ontario onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp (15 mL) balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp (5 mL) granulated sugar
- 8 to 10 stalks Ontario asparagus, cut into 1/2-inch (1 cm) pieces
- 1 medium Ontario greenhouse tomato, chopped
- 1 tsp (5 mL) dried basil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 baked 12-inch (30 cm) whole wheat pizza crust
- 3 tbsp (45 mL) of your favourite Ontario cheese, shredded
What to do:
- In a frying pan, heat oil over medium-high heat.
- Sauté onion and garlic until softened and golden, about 8 minutes.
- Add vinegar and sugar; stir.
- Add asparagus; cook for 3 minutes.
- Add tomato, basil, and salt and pepper to taste; cook for 1 minute.
- Spread asparagus mixture over whole-wheat pizza crust; top with cheese.
- Place pizza directly on middle oven rack (for softer, chewier crust, bake on cookie sheet). Bake in 375°F (190°C) oven (or according to pizza crust directions on package) for 6 to 8 minutes or until crust browns.
- Broil for 2 minutes or until cheese begins to bubble.