Pick Up: Asparagus

April is the best season to buy fresh asparagus from your local grocery store. If you've never tried asparagus, it is fresh like a green bean but with richer flavor. I love it and I think that you will too if you find the right way to fit it into your weekly meal plan. I'll show you how right after the jump.

How to Shop for It

Look for firm asparagus stalks with vibrant green color. The florets on the tips should grow tightly together. When you get them home, stand them up in a small pot with less than an inch of water at the bottom. Then store them in the refrigerator.

How to Prepare It

Before you eat asparagus, snap off the woody ends at the bottom of the plant -- they come off easily. Wash the stalks under fresh water and you're ready to cook.

How to Eat It

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For Fresh Flavor: Nothing is quite as flavorful as in-season asparagus. The best way to bring out that flavor is to roast the stalks. The healthy cooking blog Black America Cooks has a great recipe for roasted asparagus tips. Just chop, roast, sprinkle with garlic powder and serve. They are wonderful on their own as a snack, in a salad or as a side dish.

On a Tight Schedule: A crock pot is great for making dinner during a busy week. Drop in fresh ingredients in the morning, set the timer and dinner will be ready when you get home from work. This easy chicken and asparagus casserole recipe from Moms with Crockpots is delicious. I want you to pick a day in the next week to have it. Pair it with the grocery store salads that come in a bag and you'll have a balanced meal that took no time at all to prepare.

For Meat Lovers: Bacon isn't the healthiest meat around. But sometimes it's the only way to bribe meat-loving family members to try out a new vegetable. This bacon and asparagus salad from The Hungry Mouse is slap-your-mother delicious and the perfect way to introduce asparagus to the table.

How to Grow It

If you live in or near Growing Zone 5a (the light blue area on this map) asparagus makes a great, easy-growing garden plant. Plant seeds out in March or early April. Gardenate has a great growing guide for these delicious beauties. You can plant them and virtually forget them until you're ready to harvest fresh asparagus for your garden.

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Dr. Sharon Iglehart

The easiest way to start a healthy diet is one vegetable at the time. Play around with a few asparagus recipes during spring while they're in season.

Asparagus detoxifies your system and reduces the risk of heart disease and cancer. More importantly, asparagus is delicious. Find a recipe you love and soon you'll be putting asparagus in everything.