Asparagus Stalks should be tender and firm, tips should be close and compact. Choose the stalks with very little white, they are more tender. Use the asparagus soon – it toughens rapidly.
Cabbage and lettuce – Choose heads that are heavy for size. Avoid cabbage with worm holes, or lettuce with discoloration or soft rot.
Sass! 
March 14, 2012 at 6:39 am
The pencil thin asparagus in the spring is the best. I saved a recipe that calls for baking it at high heat rather than boiling it to save the nutrients and retain the natural green color. 450 degrees for 15 minutes with some butter drizzled on it.