Spring Into Asparagus

The first warm Spring days always deliver the same concerning thought: What if there is no asparagus this year?  Now that we are into the third week of harvest, that fear is replaced by another thought:  How will we use all the asparagus?  Fortunately, there are plenty of friends, family and chefs who willingly share our bounty. 

For optimum flavor, eat asparagus asap after harvest

 

Although supermarkets sell asparagus almost year round, these spears taste nothing like fresh, in season, local asparagus.  Since asparagus continues to age after harvest, spears toughen and become bitter, so it is desirable to eat asparagus as soon as possible after cutting.  

Fresh asparagus taste is vastly superior to supermarket produce

 

 

By early June, asparagus season will end for North Carolina, so enjoy this delicious spring harbinger while it is available. 

Refrigerate fresh asparagus, upright in water

While trying out new preparations, I used asparagus to make slaw and salad.  Since I could not decide which I preferred, I am including both recipes.  Wild sorrel, with delicate yellow flowers and tangy flavor, makes a great edible garnish for both. 

Wild Sorrel

Asparagus Slaw
(Reserve tender asparagus spear tips for another use)
2 cups finely chopped asparagus spears
2 medium radishes, minced
1 small scallion, white and green tips minced
1/2 cup grated carrot 
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Splash of vinegar (Test purposes, ramp infused vinegar)
1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients, refrigerate for at least three hours before serving.

Asparagus slaw and salad with wild sorrel garnish

Asparagus Salad
2 cups fresh asparagus spears, finely chopped
2 medium radishes, minced
1 small scallion, white and green tips, minced
2 hard boiled eggs, diced
1/2 cup grated carrot
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons Duke's mayo (add more if needed, to taste)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients, refrigerate for at least three hours before serving. 

Planting Legacies

Spring, 2016, yields some of the most spectacular early blossoms on record for Western NC.  One beautiful display reminds me of a neighbor who planted azaleas not long before his death.  Looking at the expanse of brilliant red blooms, a delight for passersby, I remember the man who placed young plants, his friendly wave, a wide smile that proclaimed youthful spirit and his twinkling eyes.  These azaleas, now mature plants, announce joyful exuberance and share beauty, a living legacy to the gardener. 

Tim's Azaleas, Spectacular 2016 Show

A stroll around my home also reminds me of friends and family, some who are alive and others who shared tangible reminders of their earthly time.  Here, Ruth's peonies, deliciously fragrant, there, Aunt Meda's irises, large blossoms very different from my grandmother's small delicate purple ones. 

Hellebores Re-Seed to Grow New Plants

Janet's Hellebores thrive in wooded oak leaf beds and a large pot holds nodding bleeding hearts, a gift from Clark.   

Perennial Bleeding Hearts Thrive as Container Plants

Along with plants, I count heirloom seeds as gifts. When I hold these small treasures in my palm, I feel their life force and look forward to watching seedlings emerge from soil, thrive and bloom, produce fruit, vegetables and seed for another season, before the plant dies.

Beans, Peas, Peanuts & Sunflowers: Seeds from my Grandmother

Plant cycles are reminders of our own human mortality. Should we not all hope for productive days that allow us to create beauty where we live?  This spring, plan to share a plant or seeds with a special friend or family member and create your own living legacy.  Someday, when a blossom is especially beautiful or a fruit unusually sweet, someone may fondly recall your life and smile at the memory. 

Spring Cleaning

Those pesky, forgetful squirrels.  Every Spring, I am surprised when plants bloom in unexpected places, moved to new locations by squirrels that intend to enjoy them as Winter food, but overlook the hidden treats.  When blossoms appear far from areas I planted, I blame squirrels, but when I discover hidden foods in freezers and pantry shelves, there is no one to blame but myself.

A lone daffodil blooms where a squirrel planted the bulb

Spring cleaning at the farm includes jobs like removing wire cages where they supported last summer's tomatoes and peppers, pulling up metal and wood stakes and setting fires to burn dried weeds and brush from fields.

Burning weeds, brush and broken stakes adds soil nutrients

We also clean and rehang Purple Martin houses and the reward for that last task is seeing excited scouts arrive to inspect the homes.  On March 25th, Good Friday, the first bird appeared at Heart & Sole, chattering excitedly and peering into the gourds.  Hopefully, they met with his approval and he will bring the rest of the family to join him in the near future.  While this first Martin was a bit skittish, by the end of the season, the birds are used to our presence and allow us to stand under the gourds and photograph them.

Last Year's Purple Martin Group

Back at home, spring cleaning tasks are a different sort of work.  With Winter bowing to Spring's arrival, backyard gardens, farms and farmer's markets will soon yield fresh food for the dinner table.  While cutting the season's first asparagus spears, I realized it was time to take inventory of preserved harvests in freezers, refrigerators and pantry shelves and make a concerted effort to use as much as possible to make room for this year's bounty. 

A bounty of roasted tomato sauce, preserved last summer

After discovering a treasure trove of roasted tomato sauce, pickled eggplant, dried tomatoes, roasted peppers and other ingredients, I decided to combine as many of these foods as possible into a "Spring Cleaning" dish.  Perhaps not one a squirrel would enjoy, but it certainly is a delicious way to make room for Summer's bounty.

Roast fresh tomatoes with onion, garlic, peppers & herbs, then freeze

Spring Cleaning Puttanesca Sauce
*Although this Italian sauce's origins are murky, one widely circulated story is that prostitutes would place simmering pots of this fragrant sauce near their establishment's windows, in order to lure male customers.  Another source gives credit to a restaurant owner who was told to make "any kind of garbage" for hungry guests.  Regardless of its beginnings, there are no rules for combining ingredients in this sauce; if it is something you like, add it.  With tomato base and a good balance of salty, your results will be delicious. Serve over pasta or rice, along with crusty bread for a hearty meal.

2 cups roasted tomato sauce with onion and garlic
1/4 cup pickled eggplant (for recipe, see Eggplant) 
1/4 cup dried tomatoes, chopped
1/4 - 1/2 cup roasted peppers, chopped
1-2 tablespoons capers
1/4 cup Kalamata olives, roughly chopped 
Oregano, dried or fresh, salt and pepper to taste

Combine and simmer all ingredients in a medium pot over low heat until fragrant and bubbly.  Optional: top with grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese.