Jan Roberts-Dominguez / Submitted photoAsparagus is a treat in the spring. Look for tightly-budded stalks and refrigerate them immediately to preserve sweetness.

OK, so this wasn’t one of those long, hard Pacific Northwest winters. So what if we spent very few evenings hunkering down by our wood stoves toasting frosted toes and spirits. Winter’s winter.

And spring is WON-derful. One doesn’t have to traverse a harsh seasonal course to appreciate an even gentler time — a time for tulips, chives blossoms, soccer and (drum roll) asparagus.

Ah yes, asparagus — just about any foodie’s favorite soul food. When shipments from the Golden State hit town many weeks ago, the stalks had been plucked from their fields a mere day or two earlier — pretty good stuff. But the real gem is Washington asparagus — particularly from the Yakima and Walla Walla valleys. When it arrives, it’s hours rather than days old. And it’s wonderful — sweet, tender and richly colored in deep greens and purples.

Well, ready up the butter sauce. The Northwest asparagus harvest began much sooner than usual, so if you haven’t treated yourself, you have some catching up to do. Lucky you!

But first things first. To produce some fantastic asparagus preparations, you have to start with fantastic asparagus. Look for tightly budded stalks, an indication of freshness and tender handling along the way from grower to market.

With that said, there’s one more important element to keep in mind. Asparagus contains sugar that begins turning to starch as soon as it’s picked; refrigeration slows down the conversion.

Consider this: Asparagus stored at 33 degrees holds two weeks before losing half its sugar; at 68 degrees, two days; and at 86 degrees, half the sugar is gone after half a day!

So shop for your asparagus where you know there’s a fast turnover or you won’t be getting the sweetest and most flavorful experience.

As far as preparation goes, steaming is a dandy method. But it’s not the only method by a long shot. These days, folks are discovering that vegetables take on an entirely different character when exposed to a bit of dry heat, be it over a grill or in a roasting pan. Asparagus is such a vegetable, becoming sweet and toasty from such treatment.

Basic preparation

Peel, don’t pinch: Although it is traditional to bend the lower portion of each asparagus stalk until it snaps into edible and inedible portions, it isn’t necessary, and wastes quite a bit of perfectly good stalk. Better to take a vegetable peeler or paring knife and beginning about 3 inches from the tip, gently peel down to the base. With this method, much less of the stalk will have to be cut away; plus, you’ll find the entire vegetable cooks more evenly.

Blanch it: Peeled stalks won’t need special asparagus cookers that hold the vegetable upright since the stalks cook evenly from tip to base. Fill a large pot or wide frying pan three-fourths full of water, add a teaspoon of salt per quart of water, and bring to a boil. Add the asparagus (either whole stalks or cut into desired lengths), cover just until the water begins to boil again, then remove the lid. Reduce the heat and cook for 4 minutes, then begin testing for doneness. Although it’s a matter of taste, I consider asparagus done just when it’s easily pierced by a sharp knife.

Cool it: If you’re not using the asparagus immediately, then plunge it into cold water to stop the cooking and set the color. Remove from water with a slotted spoon to a clean towel on a rack; cover and refrigerate until needed. Use this method to blanch asparagus before adding to stir-fry dishes.

— Jan Roberts-Dominguez is a Corvallis food writer, artist and author of “Oregon Hazelnut Country, the Food, the Drink, the Spirit” and four other cookbooks. Readers can contact her by email at janrd@proaxis.com, or obtain additional recipes and food tips on her blog at www.janrd.com.