Asparagus: a taste of spring... |
| In
the early days of spring, the region's market stalls welcome asparagus
like a queen. Clean, tidy and ready to eat! A young asparagus spear,
however, doesn't keep very well and should be eaten quickly, be it
white, green or purple. The asparagus spear is one of the few vegetables for which no one takes offence when it is eaten without a fork. It is, however, a born and bred aristocrat and, as a member of the Lily family, knows how to grow without any help. All it asks for is a patch of nice loose, sandy soil and a few drops of water. On the other hand, rather like its cousin garlic, oinions and leaks, it has to be protected from sunlight. The plant, however, thinks otherwise and invariably pushes upwards in search of the sun, until such time as its spear eventually springs out of the ground. As soon as they have grown to a height of approximately 20 cm, the spears are cut and delivered to the market the very next morning. When they are not cut, the spears continue to grow and soon develop into wild looking ferns. Like all princesses, the asparagus plant is never in a hurry. After it has been sown, it takes three years for the first spears to actually start popping out of the ground. However, when the crown is replanted before the end of the frosts, it will produce again in the spring. |
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