Asparagus season is underway ’round these parts, and I always try to make it a point to keep some on hand. They make a great last-minute side dish or even light meal, and require so little prep work. It’s the quintessential spring vegetable, and there are so many asparagus dishes here that look amazing, like creamy soup, risotto, and even asparagus fries. They all sound so good!

So asparagus is our topic this week: growing, storing, preparing, cooking, you name it. Tell us:

Do you have any favorite asparagus tips (ha!) or recipes?

I usually try to keep it simple. I like to quickly cook fresh asparagus on a grill or a very hot pan, just to get a bit of char in them without losing all that lovely crispness. Toss with some garlic and oil, season with salt and pepper, and squeeze some lemon juice over the whole thing. Done!

I have some really nice asparagus here right now but I think I want to try something new this time. Any recommendations? What’s your favorite way to enjoy asparagus? Do you have any recipes or links to share? Or maybe you have a tip for growing it and keeping it healthy, or can tell us what we should look for when buying asparagus in the store. Come share below!

Easter week is in full swing, and if you haven’t already boiled and dyed eggs, it’s more than likely on your agenda in the next couple of days. Dyed eggs are the centerpiece of many families’ Easter celebrations, so we want to share knowledge today about all things Easter egg. Tell us:

Do you have tips for perfect Easter eggs?

Whether it’s cooking, dyeing or using the leftover eggs in a recipe, we want to hear your tricks.

First, the cooking. We all have our favorite method for achieving the perfect hard-boiled egg. Some of us add vinegar to the water before it boils. Others skip this step. Some boil rapidly for a set period and then remove and add cold water to cool. Another method is to bring water to a boil with the eggs in the pot and then remove from heat, cover and let sit for several minutes to complete the cooking. We know folks who swear by using an ice bath to stop the cooking. How about you? What are your best hard-boiled egg tricks? Since we’ll be boiling at least a dozen eggs, we want to make sure they come out right. We’ll eventually eat these babies, after all.

Now for the dyeing. Always a fun (though sometimes messy) undertaking, we’ve seen some really fun variations on the typical approach and some clever uses of natural ingredients to dye eggs. TK Member Patricia from ButterYum shares a neat method from Le Creuset for dyeing eggs purple using grape juice. We also adore these crackled eggs from Stephanie of Girl Versus Dough. Tell us your tips for the best dyed eggs. How do you get the most vivid colors, and/or what natural ingredients have you found success with for dyeing?

After the hunt, we’ll be ready to crack open our eggs and use them for deviled eggs, a great egg salad or maybe perfect potato salad for Easter dinner. I always love a good Cobb or Nicoise salad, and both call for a hard-boiled egg or two. Then at least one or two eggs will end up in school lunches around here. I’m thinking I need to have another dozen eggs on hand! Let us know your favorite uses for your leftover Easter eggs. We’re ready for some fresh ideas!

We wish you wonderful celebrations with family and friends and hope your eggs turn out lovely and tasty!