Spear Soiree: Asparagus Fest

Things'll get might springy in Stockton.

IF YOU ARE A BELIEVER... in the concept of the "cook's treat," then you know that taking a nibble, in the kitchen, while you wash up the bowls and dry the measuring cups, is all part of the bargain. After all, the cook has done the work for those who will soon enjoy a delicious summer, so an extra knob of cheddar, or a few croutons, are just the kind of cook's treat that the person doing the work has earned. And few foodstuffs are as high up on the cook's treat pyramid as a spear of asparagus. Consider how flavorful it is, how graspable, and how easy to eat (it can go down in just a few chomps). Few at-home chefs would dare say they never grabbed a spear before the plating a few dozen slender green asparagus for those waiting at the dinner table. Does this fact make the asparagus spear the world's most perfect cook's treat, category: vegetables? While you debate that hot topic, break out your road-trip planner, and look to Stockton, where the...

SAN JOAQUIN ASPARAGUS FESTIVAL... will sprout, over a trio of celebratory days, on April 21, 22, and 23, 2017. Will you eat deep-fried asparagus while there? It's for sale, as is asparagus ice cream and asparagus corn dogs. The idea of asparagus slaw sounds as fresh as a spring afternoon, while bacon-wrapped asparagus feels like something we might attempt to make at home. There's a whole plethora of plate-filling, spear-crunchy choices, as well as a host of family-oriented happenings. But is the perfect asparagus the one you nab from the pan on your own stove, the ultimate cook's treat? Well, try the ice cream first, and the fried spears, before deciding. We say all asparagus types should receive a lot of love, whether we devour them at a huge spring festival or standing over our stove at home.

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