If you believe, as many do, that asparagus should be celebrated as a sure sign of spring and is best eaten only during its relatively short season, you know something about the joy of anticipation.  Farmers and gardeners who grow asparagus certainly understand this concept. It can take up to three years for an asparagus plant to yield more than a few stalks.  Once established, though, an asparagus bed will continue to produce for 20 years or more. When the tips start poking through the ground, you’ll need to be vigilant. Expect to be picking every day for several weeks. A three-inch shoot can rapidly grow a foot long while your back is turned.  Cooks and diners worldwide have long been happy to await the year’s new crop, knowing that their patience will be rewarded. In Europe, restaurants advertise springtime asparagus just the way soft shell crabs are peddled here during their fleeting season. They’re back! Get ’em while they last.  Now that Peruvian asparagus is available in the supermarket all winter long, it is tempting to buy it year-round. But where’s the fun in that? It gives no more pleasure than eating so-so subpar green beans flown in from another hemisphere. They may be “fresh,” but vegetables suffer from jet lag, too. They come off the plane tired and somewhat worse for wear. Why not wait?  Does this mean people on the East Coast should shun the early asparagus from Mexico and California? If you’ve suffered through a long, cold winter, it’s no sin to indulge. But realize that freshly picked asparagus from New Jersey or Michigan will taste that much better.  The fact is, truly fresh asparagus doesn’t stay truly fresh for very long. Some advocate standing the spears upright in an inch of water in the fridge, but, like good summer corn, it’s best to buy it right off the truck.  Signs of freshness include smooth, glossy spears; tightly closed tips; and bottom ends that look freshly cut. This means the asparagus is sweet. Don’t settle for less.  Now, do you want your asparagus pencil thin, medium or jumbo? It’s really a matter of personal preference. Skinny asparagus, cut in two-inch lengths, is best sautéed or stir-fried. Larger thick spears, left whole, are the ones to steam, simmer, roast or grill.  Peeling asparagus may seem highfalutin’, but fatter stalks need it, for cooking evenly and for a better, silkier texture. For medium or thin asparagus, it’s not necessary. (White asparagus always needs peeling, though.) Cut off the tough bottom ends or snap them off. But if you snap, hold your hands toward the very bottom end of the stalk or you risk discarding too much (a stalk will snap in the middle too if you’re not careful).  The main thing, no matter the size or the cooking method, is to make sure the spears are properly cooked. Keep them bright green and firm. Aim for just done. It’s better to veer toward underdone; residual heat will cause them to continue cooking when they are removed from the pot. (Like pasta, it’s a disappointing shame when overcooked, even by a minute.)  I offer three dishes here, but for the first asparagus of the year, keep it simple with this elemental recipe: Simmer spears in well-salted water and bring a steaming platterful to the table for a celebratory first course. Offer nice extra-virgin olive oil, melted butter, vinaigrette or homemade mayonnaise for dipping.  Tuck a napkin under your chin and eat them with your fingers.  Recipes: Buckwheat Crepes With Asparagus, Ham and Gruyère | Butter-Braised Asparagus | Wok-Fried Asparagus With Walnuts
Get them while they last. Fresh local spears are like no other — sweet, firm and enticingly green.