Asparagus Season

The first asparagus spears always seem to appear around Tax Day here in the Valley. This year has been no exception, and we are harvesting some top quality spears on a daily basis. Our asparagus is in a raised bed only 3 by 6 feet, and was started with 5 Jersey Giant plants about 10 years ago. Now having matured, the bed produces all the asparagus we care to eat for about 10 weeks.

Here are three of my favorite ways to prepare freshly harvested asparagus. For each recipe, I snap the spears by hand, allowing them to break at a natural point. The tough bottom ends of the stems can be used to make a delicious stock for the soup. Save up the stems from two or three pickings of asparagus, storing them in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and you will have enough for about three cups of the delicious stock.

Asparagus Milanese
Poach the asparagus in simmering salted water for 3 to 5 minutes, or until just tender. Transfer to a warmed plate, then top with a poached egg, grated parmesan, and a few sprinkles of salt and pepper.

Variation: Instead of poaching the eggs, scramble them in butter with some chopped fresh tarragon, or another fresh herb. Top each serving with a dollop of eggs and some additional fresh herb for garnish.

Pappardelle with Ricotta, Asparagus and Peas
Cut off the tips of the asparagus and cut the stalks into one-inch pieces. Drop the stalks into rapidly boiling salted water and cook for two minutes, add the tips and 1/2 cup of peas, fresh or frozen. Cook for one minute. Drain, then refresh in cold water to stop the cooking. Transfer the vegetables to a large heatproof bowl. Cook pappardelle in rapidly boiling salted water according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Combine the hot cooked pasta with the vegetables, and add 1/2 cup of ricotta. Stir to combine and create a creamy sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve at once on heated plates.

Variation: Feel free to add garlic, green onions, herbs or any combination to this versatile dish.

Cream of Asparagus
Prepare asparagus stock by simmering the stalk ends from about one pound of spears in one quart of water, adding half a white onion, some parsley stems and a sprig of fresh tarragon. Simmer until reduced to 3 cups, about 45 minutes to one hour. Strain, discarding the solids. Keep warm. Meanwhile, cut the tips from the spears and reserve them. Chop the remainder of the spears into bite size pieces and reserve them separately from the tips. Place a medium saucepan over medium-low heat and melt a tablespoon of butter. Add some chopped onion and saute until it is translucent. Add the chopped asparagus spears and stir briefly to coat with the butter. Add the three cups of stock and bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, add the tips of the spears, and cook one minute longer. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 1/2 cup of warmed heavy cream. Serve immediately, garnished with minced fresh tarragon or parsley.

Variation: Poach the asparagus tips separately in a little butter and reserve them to garnish the soup. After cooking the asparagus spears in the stock, puree the mixture in a blender before combining the puree with the cream and reheating to serving temperature.

Bon appetit!

Spring Planting

Now is the time for East Tennessee gardeners to plant cool season crops. It will soon be too late for transplanting cabbage and broccoli, so if you are growing those this year, you'd better get busy. These days, it gets hot enough in May to stop the growth of most brassicas. Your cabbage may not head up, and your broccoli may not bloom.

This is an ideal time to direct seed most leafy greens. Lettuces will take about 75 days, but many mustards, such as arugula and radishes, will be ready in about 6 weeks. Follow the instructions on the seed packages for proper sowing depth, water the seedbed every day if it doesn't rain, and expect most things to germinate within one week.

You can also direct seed beets and carrots, both of which take a little longer to germinate. Carrots can take up to three weeks. Either vegetable should be thinned to the correct spacing (see the back of the seed packet) as soon as most of the seedlings have emerged. Delay in thinning will slow growth and might even limit production. A pair of plastic tweezers is useful for thinning, if you have large hands like I do. Beets will benefit from the addition of wood ashes to their bed, which raises the pH. A cup of wood ashes is sufficient for a ten-foot row of beets. Don't put the ashes directly on the seeds. Instead, work ashes into the soil a few days before planting.

This season, I am growing some vegetables in containers as part of a photography project. If you plan on a container vegetable garden, I suggest using nothing smaller than a twelve-inch diameter pot. Five gallon buckets make good vegetable containers, too, but you will need to drill drainage holes in the bottom. Cover the holes with plastic window screen before filling the container. This keeps snails, slugs and insects from taking up residence in the pot. Remember that container vegetables need frequent watering and fertilizing in order to perform well. You can use soluble fertilizer, time-release fertilizer added to the potting mix, or a granular organic fertilizer.

If you are starting your own transplants, now is as good time to sow tomatoes indoors. Wait another couple of weeks before sowing eggplant or peppers, as these two need more heat. Most transplants will be ready about a month after germination, so plan accordingly.