If you think about it, asparagus is a pretty weird thing to eat. The shoots come out of the ground, and before they can get big, we snip 'em off and cook 'em. That must have been one hungry prehistoric tribe the first time they decided to try them. But, wow, aren't we glad they did? The spears you see here are in our garden. And started from seed just a little over a year ago, no less! Thank you, Tori!

• Cooking Sauce:
  • 1 tablespoon dry sherry
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock (or water)
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil (I love this stuff- you might start with 1 teaspoon if you're unsure)
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, stir until sugar and cornstarch are dissolved, set aside until the very end.

Then, have all the following ingredients prepared and ready, like in the picture above, because there's no time to stop and chop anything after you start cooking.

• Main Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 cup cashews
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
  • 1 tablespoon fermented black beans, rinsed and gently smashed with the back of a spoon
  • 2 boneless/skinless chicken breast halves, cut into bite sized pieces and combined with a teaspoon each of soy sauce and dry sherry
  • 1/2 pound of asparagus (bases trimmed off if they are tough), cut into 1 1/2 inch lengths
  • 1 cup of green onions, sliced in 1/4 inch lengths
  • Extra water or chicken broth

Ready, Set, COOK!

Heat the oil in a wok or large deep pan over medium high heat, add the cashews and cook until they are golden brown. Remove and set aside cashews using a slotted spoon, so the hot oil stays in the pan. 

Reheat the oil if necessary and stir in the garlic, ginger and black beans until they sizzle but aren't brown. Increase the heat to high, add the chicken and stir fry until the chicken is completely opaque and is just beginning to brown. Lower the heat to medium high and add the asparagus. Stir fry, adding a little water or chicken broth if the pan is dry, until asparagus is bright green and still crisp-tender. Stir the cooking sauce briefly to remix the cornstarch. Add cooking sauce, half the green onions and the reserved cashews, stir-frying until sauce is thickened and coats the meat and vegetables.   

Serve over steamed rice and garnish with remaining green onions. Serves two with large appetites, four more modest eaters.  (I ate every scrap of the plate pictured.)