Depending on where you live, Asparagus season is either on the horizon – or in your face. Either way, it’s a short season, so there’s no time to waste sharing Asparagus knowledge and wisdom, old and new…
Asparagus Pizza! Just one of the new, elevated, updated, ‘newstalgic’ dishes now
emerging from the at-times overworked minds of younger generations
of new chefs now emerging in the mainstream culinary scene!
I had no idea how divided the Asparagus ‘audience’ is. I thought everybody (except a few oddballs) loved the woodsy, earthy, just-delicately-sweet-ish, deeply-umammified, flavour of fresh asparagus. Ideally in its ‘high’ season. Which is all of 2 weeks where I live, in early spring… But I’ve learned, through bitter experience, that at least 1 out of every 4 diners you’re likely to be feeding at any family and/or friends feast will be a ‘hater’. Proceed at your own risk…
First crop to ‘come in’…
My birth dad loved asparagus. And he also loved gardening. Which resulted in a large asparagus bed, all across the bottom edge of his big back yard vegetable plot.
So intensely did he watch for the first signs of life in his asparagus patch every spring that he could often be seen, even before the last of the snow went away, poking around gently to see if the first de-licious green stems were on their way up – through the warming soil…
Easy to grow
Asparagus ‘crowns’ can be purchased at almost any nursery that has a good selection of flower bulbs. Better yet, find a family ember, friend or neighbour who will share their asparagus to ‘audition’ the produce of their plants. And beg a few crowns from them when it’s time to thin their patches.
Plant your asparagus as if it was any other perennial: 6 – 8 in. / 15 – 20 cm deep and 12 in. / 18 in. / 75 cm apart. They’ll grow like weeds, and appreciate all that room to expand in coming seasons. They’ll also love lots of rich manure or compost.
As the soil warms from increasing exposure to the spring sun each season, the crowns will ‘wake up’ and consider sending out their first harvest-able shoots. Resist the urge to start harvesting your new asparagus too early in the season. Or before your new plants have had at least 3 years to establish themselves in your garden.
On their own
After that, your asparagus should just appear every spring as soon as it judges conditions are right, and continue producing until the weather gets too warm or too dry.
Be choosy…
Dad always said to be choosy when sorting your asparagus. The thin, tender female shoots are best for long-stemed cooking methods. The thicker-stemmed male spears are best or long-simering appli-cations such as soups and stews.
Always peel a thin layer of outer ‘bark’ off of male asparagus stems. Otherwise, they’ll be tough and stringy.
Give more-delicate female spears the bite test. They’re ideal for raw applications such as salad in-clusion. If they bite through easily, without any indication of stringiness or toughness, you’ve har-vested them at just the right moment… Enjoy a rare treat!
Many ways to cook…
My favourite ways to cook asparagus are grilling (in summer), on the grili in a foil package or in the oven (in the off season).
You an also steam it, broil it ‘naked’ in the oven, or roast it ‘naked’ on a sheet pan…
Butter is a natural companion no matter how you cook your asparagus. Be sure to apply an appro-priate ‘dose’ of salt and pepper before applying heat. When cooking via an open (i.e.- unwrapped) method, don’t be afraid to baste it now and then during cooking, to’ infuse’ it with seasoned butter. Or Olive Oil, as your taste may dictate.
My take
For me – and the majority, I think – asparagus is one of those crops that marks the beginning of each new phase, or ‘season’ in the garden. And the beginning of anything as grand or portentous as aspar-agus season – the début of your vegetable patch for another year – only the greatest care and closest attention will do.
Show your garden the respect it deserves, and it will reward you with a great harvest, the richest flavours, and the most exciting colours and textures you can hope to put on your table!
~ Maggie J.