This is one Mean Old Lady!

This is one Mean Old Lady!
Self-portrait: 'Quilter on Fire'

Friday, March 25, 2011

Asparagus :0)

First thing in the morning....
And here's the pay-off for all of the time and attention lavished on the asparagus bed!

I go out twice a day--first thing in the morning and then right before supper--and cut the spears that have reached the proper height (about 8 inches.)  I lay the freshly-washed stalks on a cutting board, slice a little off the cut end, and use a vegetable peeler to peel off a thin layer on the lower stalks (which are tough otherwise.)  The stalks are brittle, so the cutting board supports them and prevents breakage.


and last thing in the afternoon
After I complete the rest of our dinner prep, I lay the spears in a fry pan, pour in boiling water to cover, and simmer about 3-4 minutes--til tender but not limp.  A little sprinkle of Kosher salt, and straight to the table!  While we sometimes include asparagus in a breakfast omelet, I don't bother with other recipes or more complex dishes.  No need to gild a lily.

Six weeks of cutting will end as the weather warms and the spears suddenly become tough and woody.  Then it's time to weed, fertilize, and treat for asparagus beetles, after which I'll mulch the bed and lay out the soaker hoses.  Totally worth it! 

7 comments:

  1. So, I should arrive about 10:30, 11:00 a.m., right :-) Looks way too yummy.

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  2. Right now, with the return of much colder temps, the asparagus is kind of pouting--many fewer stalks to harvest. Okay, I can be patient.

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  3. Thanks for the asparagus prep tutorial. I'm wondering, how much difference is there in taste between asparagus harvested just before dinner and asparagus that has sat around for a while?

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  4. MOL, my dear lady, I so wish you had Asparagus the details of this particular garden vegetable!

    Very truly yours, CaseAceFos
    AKA WHH

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  5. LOL, WHH!
    My history: we had only been served (shudder) canned asparagus--horrible, only surpassed in disgusting character by the canned spinach (topped with slices of over-cooked hard-boiled egg.) I sat unrepentant at the dinner table until 10 p.m. one night...
    When I finally had my first FRESH vegetables (after leaving home)...what a revelation!

    Gail, stored asparagus can still have excellent flavor, IMHO, but so often in the grocery I see it is past its prime (dark, wet-looking tips; limp stems; half-opened buds) plus they charge a pretty penny. I can and do store surplus in the refrigerator for a few days and it's just as tasty.

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  6. MY, what lovely hands you have MOL, but I had better leafy at that, if I know what's gourd for me!
    See you back in WP for Mondays puzzle

    WHH

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  7. WHH-
    I'm so pleased that someone loves chapped hands with age spots, broken nails, and little scabs from thorn-sticks! Alas, my hands are tell-tale signs of my many sins (no sun-screen, too many washings, failure to wear garden gloves or rubber gloves...too late to reform!) LOL

    And I just printed up a very, very odd Sunday puzzle from Kevin Der!

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Rose 'Crepuscular'

Asparagus bed--post harvest

Lake Conway Mutti und Kinder