Local asparagus has been popping up in stores the past few weeks, so now’s the time to enjoy this nutritious and scrumptious vegetable at its freshest.

The delectable green spears, simply steamed and lightly seasoned, can play a capable supporting role to your main dish (salmon is a favorite of mine), or it can be a star in its own right.

Here are some recipes to get you started.

Mario Batali makes this with pancetta, and you can find similar treatments at many restaurants, often made with prosciutto. My brainstorm was to try it with thin slices of Nova lox, and it turned out well. It makes a fine appetizer or part of an antipasto plate.

Asparagus wrapped with smoked salmon (with citronette)

2 pounds medium asparagus

1/2pound thinly sliced lox

Finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/4cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 teaspoons chopped thyme

Tightly wrap each asparagus spear in a slice of salmon and refrigerate until chilled, about 20 minutes.

In a small bowl, stir the orange zest and juice with the mustard and olive oil; season with salt and pepper. In a preheated pan, grill the asparagus over moderate heat, turning often, until they are just tender and the salmon is getting crisp, about 5 minutes total. Transfer the asparagus to a platter and drizzle with the dressing. Sprinkle with the thyme and serve.

The uncooked wrapped asparagus can be covered and refrigerated overnight.

Adapted from a Mario Batali recipe published May 2008 in Food &Wine magazine.

This is a very earthy and savory concoction that paired well with grilled chicken breast and a pinot noir.

Mark Bittman of the New York Times explains that the use of the dried morels and porcinis passes on some of the exotic wild flavor to the domestic mushrooms. More morels, more better, he says, but they are pricey.

Asparagus with ­morels and tarragon

1/4-1/2ounce dried morels or porcinis, or a combination

1/4cup (1/2 stick) butter

1/2cup chopped shallots

1 pound fresh shiitake or white button mushrooms or a combination, cleaned, trimmed and sliced

1-11/2pounds asparagus, trimmed, cut into 1 1/2-inch lengths

1/4cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chervil

Salt and pepper to taste.

Put morels, porcinis or both in a bowl with very hot water to cover; soak until soft, about 20 minutes. Drain morels and reserve soaking liquid. Cut morels in half; if porcinis are large, chop them roughly.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; when butter is hot and foam has subsided, add shallots and reconstituted and fresh mushrooms to pan. Cook until shallots soften and fresh mushrooms have released their liquid and it has cooked off, about 10 minutes.

Add asparagus and 1/2 cup reserved liquid to pan. Bring liquid to a boil, cover, reduce heat so mixture simmers, and continue cooking for another 2 to 4 minutes, or until asparagus is crisp-tender. Add cream and tarragon or chervil and continue cooking, uncovered, until sauce thickens slightly and asparagus is tender, about 4 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Yield: four servings.

From the Minimalist with Mark Bittman, New York Times, May 13

This terrific recipe I picked up from Robin Garr’s Wine Advisor FoodLetter (www.wineloverspage.com), and the technique puts all the asparagus flavor and color into play.

This works as a side dish or all on its own, sprinkled with grated Romano or Parmesan. In my version, I also shredded a little hard-smoked salmon on top.

Double asparagus risotto

1pound asparagus, tough ends trimmed

6cups water

12-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and smashed

2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

1tablespoon olive oil

1shallot, minced

1cup Arborio rice

Romano or Parmesan cheese, grated

Salt and pepper to taste

Toss the ginger and garlic in the water and bring to a boil. Add the asparagus, reduce heat and let simmer for a minute or two, until a bit tender, but still crisp. Lift it out and reserve the water. Separate the spears into tips, middle tender parts and lower tougher parts.

Put the lower ends of the asparagus in a blender with just a little of the water and puree. Set aside.

Keep the asparagus water barely simmering. Heat the oil in a large skillet on moderate heat, add the shallot and saute briefly. Add the Arborio, stirring to coat the rice and parching it a bit. Start adding the asparagus water, about a half-cup at a time, constantly stirring until the liquid is absorbed or evaporated before adding the next half-cup.

After about 20 minutes, you should be getting a creamy texture and the rice should be al dente. At this point (or sooner, depending on how well-cooked you like asparagus) you can start stirring in the vegetable bits, reserving some of the tips for decoration, if so inclined. Keep adding water as needed.

When the rice is done to your liking, swirl in the puree, season to taste and spoon into bowls. Top with the grated cheese and serve at once.

www.wineloverspage.com/ wineadvisor2/food