They sat glistening in the sun like a display of amethysts at Tiffany’s. One look and I knew that I had to have them. No, they weren’t sparkly earrings, strappy sandals or the latest handbags from Elaine Arsenault. They were one of nature’s gems, purple asparagus.

Unlike white asparagus, which is merely green asparagus that hasn’t seen the light of day, purple asparagus hails from the Albenga region of Italy. There farmers propagated seeds from hardy, opened female plants, producing a variety known as Violetto d’ Albenga. With this variety the stalks grow larger but there are fewer of them. Although its stems appear purple in color, its feathery leaves remain green. Similar to other asparagus, Its flesh ranges from pale green to white.

Twenty percent higher in sugar than its green counterpart, purple asparagus possesses a mildly sweet taste. Due to its low fiber content it’s also tenderer than green and white asparagus. These differences in taste and texture make purple asparagus perfect for raw salads. When blanched alongside its green and white relations, it then can be chopped, tossed and dressed with a little olive oil and lemon juice.

As with all asparagus, look for firm, plump, straight spears that snap when bent. The tips should be compact. Skip those with loose or slimy tips or shriveled, rubbery stalks.

To store, I snap off about an inch from the bottom of the stalks. I then pour an inch of water into a small bowl and, standing the asparagus upright in the water, refrigerate the vegetables. You can also wrap the bottoms of the asparagus in a wet paper towel and slide the bundle into your crisper. Wrapped and refrigerated, they’ll keep for three days. Resting in water, they’ll keep for up to a week.

Although asparagus is available year-round, its natural growing season is spring. In the case of purple asparagus you probably have missed the chance to buy it locally this year. However, many grocery stores now import this variety from Peru and elsewhere.

SIMPLE PURPLE ASPARAGUS
Serves 4

1½ lb purple asparagus, trimmed
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, grated
¼ teaspoon sea salt
⅛ teaspoon ground white pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Steam the asparagus on a steamer rack set over boiling water, covered, until just tender, 2 to 5 minutes (depending on thickness), then transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking. Drain well and pat dry with paper towels. Place on an oval serving platter.

Whisk together the vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil in a small bowl. Drizzle the dressing over the asparagus spears and serve.