Asparagus is awesome. Don’t you agree? I think it may be the most elegant vegetable out there. I feel fancy when I serve it and sophisticated when I eat it. And, bonus, it’s good for you, too!
When we planned our first garden last spring we knew we wanted to grow asparagus even after we discovered that our first harvest would be about a year away. Asparagus is unique among the other items we chose in that it is perennial and uses its own stored energy to grow. We planted one year old crowns, instead of seeds, to give ourselves a head start on the growing process since it takes two years for plants to yield their first crop. You can read more about how asparagus convert energy into new shoots here.
A couple weeks ago when the first new shoots sprung up in our asparagus bed we were ecstatic. We ate asparagus and eggs that first morning. It was the best asparagus I’ve ever eaten. There is nothing more satisfying than eating food grown under the care of your own hands. This year’s harvest was not very large (as was to be expected), but it gave us a taste of what is to come for the next twenty or so years (asparagus live forever!).
Even if you don’t have fresh asparagus springing up in your own garden right now, be sure to pick some up at the store or market while it’s in season. Done up in the skillet with eggs in the morning or roasted on a salad in the evening this vegetable is not to be missed!
