Asparagus… such a delectable luxury… but when we were kids it wasn’t a luxury at all; it was one of the summer vegetables dad grew every year in the garden and when it was in season in the middle to late spring, we would have it almost every day for lunch. Dad had an asparagus bed which must have been about thirty yards long and he had three rows of it growing which he tended lovingly. His asparagus was green with purply tops… when we went to the Netherlands I was delighted to find out friend lived bang in the middle of an asparagus growing area – except theirs is white, unlike the English variety. It was still absolutely delicious though!
Mum used to make a white sauce, just a simple butter, flour and milk white sauce and we would dip the spears in that – so juicy, so delicious! When I went somewhere and it was served with melted butter it seemed such a strange accompaniment, so oily, and it didn’t seem to compliment the vegetable at all… except it isn’t strictly a vegetable it’s a member of the lily family. When I visited a friend in the USA we had it raw in salads, and then the we had it pickled in a light vinegar – gosh, it was so good! I had some fresh not pickled asparagus for dinner tonight, with mayonnaise… Actually, what I had were sprue, the name given to the young slender stalks.
Apparently it’s really good for you, and it’s only recently been discovered that it has extra health giving properties… which makes all the more reason to eat it! I’d never even thought about whether it was healthy or not, but in fact it is – very! It’s rich in vitamin A, C and K, as well as vitamin B, iron, magnesium and other minerals – and also folic acid so it’s especially good for you if you are pregnant. It seems it’s possible it can help control diabetes, and it may help to relieve or prevent kidney stones. It has prebiotic qualities, and as with many things it’s claimed that it can help with hangovers, and is good for the liver!
I do love asparagus, it’s such a favourite and yet we don’t often have it – maybe I should start eating it more regularly, although out of season it is expensive. When it’s back in season, then I might have a go at pickling it… I’ve looked for recipes but the American ones involve a process where you put the sealed pots of vinegar, asparagus etc into a pan of boiling water – while I was in the USA with my friend when we had the pickled asparagus I helped her to do some bottling using this method, and one of the jars exploded… so I’m a little put off by this idea! However, here is a great recipe:
http://www.asparagusrecipes.co.uk/pickling-asparagus/
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/health-benefits-asparagus
The words in the title are all old names for asparagus!
Lois Elsden 