Springy spears

Nothing says spring more than the first signs of asparagus. The spears are already shooting up around here. (Thanks, global warming!) The Delta region leads the country in farming these prehistoric-looking veggies. As the weather warms, they’ll grow so fast you can practically watch them lengthen. Eat the pencil-thin spears fresh or briefly cooked, spritzed with lemon juice and a sprinkle of good salt. Also, you can’t go wrong with silky asparagus soup and a garnish of Parmesan crackers à la Patrick Mulvaney. Louis the XIV loved them, so who are you to argue?