Oh no! What do I do with asparagus stems?

That was exactly the question I asked myself today, seeing a plastic bag of asparagus stems left over from when I made salad (see last post).

Here is an answer. Make a noodle soup.

Getting-Rid-of-Asparagus-Stems Noodle Soup, with Fried Tofu.

Ingredients:

- 1 package Asian rice noodles; I suggest something thick, like udon or soba.
- 1 bunch scallions
- 1 large cucumber (pick a dark green one; the seeds won't be as pronounced)
- 1 fistful of ginger stem (that is, a sufficiently large piece to fit in a fist!)
- leftover asparagus stems
- 1 package Egg Drop Soup mix (or Miso, depending on your taste)
- soy sauce
- honey
- sesame oil to taste
- chopped peanuts (I didn't actually use this, but as I think about it, I should have!)

.. and for the tofu:

- 1 package firm tofu (firm is important; you don't want to fish out silken tofu out of hot oil!)
- 2 large eggs (never mind whether they are animals or not)
- hot sauce
- plenty of vegetable oil (for obvious reasons)

The broth / soup: What you would expect. Wash the asparagus stems, then chop the living daylights out of zem! Be nicer to the ginger: chop them into matchsticks.

Now take a pan with a large bottom, put to high heat, and sear the asparagus as you would in the case of a salad (again, see last post). Move the stems to one side of the pan, and add the ginger in the presence of vegetable oil. Let sizzle for a moment or two, then blend the two together.

When the mixture appears a little dry, reduce to medium heat and add water .. say the volume of one noodle bowl. When that begins to boil, add another and repeat. Do so until you'll have enough broth for everyone.

When you're ready to put the noodles to boil, add in the soup mix, and leave to a simmer until the noodles are ready. When all is ready, use a strainer to remove the ginger and stems pieces.

The cucumbers: Again, this is a searing / saute technique. In a bowl, add 1/4 cup soy sauce, a few shakes of sesame oil, and a teaspoon of honey. Mix well.

Peel the cucumbers and slice into .. well, slices, say 1/4" thick.

Take a small pan and put under high heat. While waiting, dip a few cucumber slices into the bowl mixture. When the pan is ready, sear the cucumber slices on both sides; there should be sufficient color while retaining a crisp texture.

If you're deft, you can dip a new batch while searing the old. If not, ask someone for help or lower the heat to buy yourself time. No sense in burning good cucumbers.

The tofu. There should be a little soy sauce mixture left, after searing the cucumber. Break the two eggs and blend it together. Drain the tofu and slice lengthwise, then across to form 12 slices.

Take a small saucepan (~ 1 quart size) and fill up to 1 inch with vegetable oil. Push to high heat, and keep the oil at a ready temperature ..

(bubbles should form when a chopstick is dipped into the oil)

Now take each tofu slice, dip into the egg-sauce mixture, and with pot lid ready in the other hand, add to the pot of oil. Beware the sizzle and spatter; use the pot lid as a shield, if necessary.

When the tofu slice is browned and floating happily, drain on paper towels. Too much oil is bad for you.

Do the same until the tofu is all done. If you avoid waste, take the remaining egg mixture and make a small omelette with some chopped scallions.

(say, on that same small pan you used for cucumbers)

When the omelette is done, slice into strips for the noodle bowls.

Presentation. To each noodle bowl, put a helping of noodles, then on the side add a share of seared cucumbers, then sprinkle with scallions. Add a measure of the Egg Drop Asparagus-Stem soup, then add crushed peanuts and a few pieces of fried tofu on top.

All told, you didn't really need the asparagus stems in the broth, but at least you can tell your guests that there is asparagus in the soup. It makes for good conversation, at least.