Friday 30 April 2010

Asparagus!

I just love the way nature provides. May and June are traditionally referred to as 'the hungry gap' but with a bit of planning, that's not the case. Just as the winter crops are coming to an end, the late spring-summer crops are coming into season.

One of the fortunate things I inherited with the garden at my house is one single asparagus crown. Although it's a single solitary crown, it throws up the fattest asparagus spears you can imagine. I'd been reading about how asparagus was coming into season and had despaired slightly at the complete lack of signs of activity from this crown, so imagine my surprise last night to come home and find that during the course of the day, the crown had pushed three 3/4-inch thick spears more than a foot out of the ground! With another four spears coming through behind it.

We're not the biggest fans of asparagus, but dinner tonight clearly needs to involve it. Now to just figure out what to eat. Risotto? Frittata? A warm salad? An open lasagne, maybe with mushroom and spinach? Asparagus and tallegio or asparagus, red pepper and feta pizza? A tart? Something to use up some more of the leeks, salsify, scorzonera and parsnip before they leap to seed?

Such a nice problem to have.

3 comments:

Alison said...

Just a quick note to say I'm loving all the recent blog updates - and also, when do you want some sourdough starter?? Should have some very fresh this weekend, if you want to pop round...

Leigh said...

I've about decided to plant asparagus for next year, but like you, we're not especially crazy about it. IOW, recipes would be appreciated!

Geodyne said...

Always happy to oblige, ladies!

Leigh: Asparagus is such an important "hungry-gap" crop it's hard to ignore, isn't it? And it's so much better fresh. I'm starting to see what our ancestors saw in it.