We had a real treat last night. We ate the most delicious steamed asparagus–picked fresh from our garden only moments before.
Robert planted the asparagus crowns in a bed at the end of our garden two years ago.
This makes its third season and the first one for harvesting. For the best results, it’s good not to harvest until the third year. Also, be sure to plant them with forethought because asparagus is a perennial, and the same planting can last for twenty years or more without doing much but covering them with straw over the winter.
Asparagus is rich in all the B vitamins, Vitamin C, calcium, and iron. It’s also chock full of anti-oxidants and provides digestive support. What’s not to love? I thought I loved everything about asparagus until I ate it the other night fresh from the garden. As with all vegetables, nothing beats a newly harvested crop. There’s none of the bitterness that sometimes comes with older asparagus. Ours actually tasted sweet.
Here’s the one problem as I see it. It will produce more and more each week for about six to seven weeks. That means we need to eat it often, and I need to become proficient in finding and making different recipes. Steamed is great, but perhaps it will lose its novelty after the fifth night in a row. I’ve yet to find a good way to preserve it as I can do with the spinach about to be picked as I write this post.
However, I will search for preserving techniques for asparagus and welcome suggestions from you. One of my friends told me about asparagus guacamole–I actually thought she had her “a” vegetables confused. I looked it up online, and it’s the same recipe as with avocados, except substituting asparagus that’s put through a food processor. That will probably be one of the first recipes I’ll try.
What about it? Any ideas to share about the harvesting and preparing of asparagus? This is my first season with this vegetable, and I’m a little giddy to think of having so much to eat for the next few weeks.
From Seed to Table – Growing, Harvesting, Cooking, and Preserving Food provides lots of tips and recipes for vegetable gardening.
Living Lightly 
Fabulous! We have asparagus coming up but it’s only the second year so are leaving it. I can’t wait! Have you tried roasting it? Delicious – 400 degrees for 15 minutes or so or until tender. Coat it with olive oil and sea salt. It’s also great on the grill……
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Yes, I’ve done the roasting with the addition of Parmesan cheese to all of the above. I’ve never had much luck with grilling it–I burn it! Maybe there’s a trick I’m missing.
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You can make guacamole with asparagus?! How did I not know this?! Putting that on the “must try” list. Let me know how your first batch comes out…
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Will do. Tonight we roasting it on the grill with salmon.
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Careful. You keep talking about meals like that and I might just have to jump on a plane.
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