Amazing Asparagus: The Queen of Greens

Many moons ago I bought a package of asparagus seed thinking I’d grow a small patch as an experiment. So I planted the seeds the same way I planted carrots, figuring that carrots grew downward and asparagus grew upward.

Weeks went by. The only thing I saw was wispy green things which I mistook for new-to-me weeds — and quickly disposed of them. Later that season, whilst chatting with a seasoned gardener, I recounted my failed attempt (“clearly due to bad seed,” says I) and bemoaned not having the pleasure of eating one measly asparagus spear.

My friend doubled with laughter and proceeded to tell me how asparagus was not an annual crop; how it takes at least three years to establish an asparagus bed; how I should have bought “crowns” and planted them in a trench … and on and on.

Eventually, I did plant a field of asparagus (I was farming then) and learned a lot from this queenly crop. For sure, asparagus requires an investment of time and liberal amounts of patience, manure and compost. But the payoff is that an asparagus bed can produce for years.

Although it is possible to grow asparagus from seed (difficult and time-consuming), I recommend planting two year-old “crowns,” available at most local nurseries. Crowns are the size of a quarter. Under the crown, long fleshy foot-long roots hang like tentacles of an octopus. From the top of the crown, little tips start to emerge in the spring. These produce the asparagus spears that shoot out of the ground.

The first year, these shoots will be thin as a miniature reed of grass. The second year, they will fill out to the size of a pencil and by the third year some will be as plump as your index finger. By the way, to plant, dig a trench a foot deep and foot wide and spread the crowns 12-18 inches apart. Cover with a couple inches of soil and compost. As the shoots grow, gradually fill in the trench.

As the asparagus grows and gets taller and taller, the tips open and branch out into lacy ferns. Don’t cut them! They provide nutrients to the roots for next year’s crop.

Hmm. I didn’t mean for this to be a gardening lesson. So onto the cooking part. Here’s a few delicious asparagus recipes!

Cooking Asparagus and a Bit of Trivia

Truly fresh asparagus is sweet and extremely tender. So just drop a batch into boiling water and cook uncovered for one minute. Of course, the older it is, the longer it takes to cook because the sugar content turns to starch and the fibres get a bit stringy. So cooking time can easily triple or quadruple if the asparagus is not “farm fresh.”

Asparagus can be traced back to Egyptian, Greek and Roman kitchens. They not only ate it fresh, but also dried it for winter use. Nutrition wise, it’s very low in sodium, low in calories, and contains no fat or cholesterol. Yet it’s a good source of folic acid, potassium, fibre, Vitamin C, beta-carotene and amino acid. It’s said to have a number of medicinal and healing properties.

Rule of thumb: One pound of asparagus has 18-22 medium-sized stalks and will serve 3-5 people (5/7 spears each). Chunked up into 1-inch lengths, one pound will give you about three cups.

One of the beauties of this vegetable is its versatility. Try cooking a batch, then cool and toss with a simple vinaigrette dressing and serve at room temperature. (Great for pot-lucks and picnics.) I also cut asparagus in chunks and add it raw to potato salad, green salad or pasta salad. It’s fun in stir fries, soups and sushi. It can be baked, boiled, steamed, sautéed or grilled. Oh yes, did I say you can eat it raw? As I’m writing this, I’m dipping fresh spears into a tuna dip. Crunch-crunch. Yum-yum. Your turn now.

Basic Asparagus Dip

• 1 C cream cheese
• 1 C sour cream
• 1/2 C Miracle Whip or Mayo
• 1/4 sweet onion finely chopped
• 1 tbsp curry

Mix well. Add and mix one can tuna (drained) or 1/2 C freshly grated parmesan cheese or 1/2 C crab meat.

Roasted Asparagus

• 1 pound asparagus
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves crushed garlic
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 C Feta cheese crumbled

Place spears on cookie sheet. Sprinkle with garlic. Drizzle with oil. Season. Roll asparagus spears in the oil mixture. Bake at 400°F oven for 5 minutes. Shake the sheet, turning over the spears. Continue baking another 5 minutes or so. Add cheese. Serve immediately.

Asparagus and Ham Fettuccine

• 1 pound fettuccine noodles
• 2 tbsp olive oil (for pasta after it’s cooked)
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 pound asparagus cut in 2 inch pieces
• 1 C cream (or milk)
• 1 C cream of mushroom soup
• 2 C cooked ham, cut in pieces
• 1 tbsp paprika
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 C freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta for 8-10 minutes (until al dente). While that’s cooking, stir fry the asparagus in the butter for one minute. Add cream, soup, ham, paprika, salt and pepper and stir. Heat until hot but do not boil. When pasta is ready, drain, add olive oil, toss then serve with asparagus/ham mixture. Top with Parmesan cheese.

 

Photo Credits

“Bunch of Asparagus ready to be cooked” iStock photo

“Field of new asparagus. Note how tips grow into ferns” iStock photo

“Tasty dish of baked asparagus with feta cheese” © Sandra Phinney

First published at Life As A Human

 

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Guest Author Bio

Sandra Phinney
Sandra Phinney is a freelance writer who’s passionate about travelling and cooking. She writes from her perch on the Tusket River in the wilds of Nova Scotia, outside of Yarmouth. (Her home is off the grid. She and her husband, Barrie MacGregor, built this home and are powered up with solar. The roof did not cave in; their marriage survived.)

Sandra’s had a few former lives. She was a teacher and social worker in earlier times. Later, she farmed for 18 years, growing organic vegetables. The farm lost money for 17 of those 18 years so she sold the farm; started over. Somewhere along the line she and Barrie raised three interesting humans—and they continue to amaze her.

Now, instead of driving a tractor and growing vegetables, Sandra harvests stories. She’s a regular food columnist for The Atlantic Co-operator and Coastal Life Magazine and her feature profiles, lifestyle and travel articles have appeared in over 60 publications. To satisfy her craving to teach, she gives writing workshops on various topics including narrative, writing memoir, how to start a freelance business and travel writing.

Sandra is a member of the Professional Writer’s Association of Canada, The Travel Media Association of Canada, the Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia, the Canadian Association of Journalists and Canadian Freelance Union. In her spare time she practices Tai Chi and does wilderness canoeing. 

Connect With Sandra: My Personal Blog