March 25th 2024

Three years later; was it worth the wait?

For those of you who do not know about asparagus cultivation, an asparagus bed takes at least three years of hard work before a single spear can be harvested and eaten. I have been told by the locals that the wait is well worth it, although they say that every extra minute delay between ground and table significantly reduces the flavour.

This is year three, and I have been waiting patiently for the first spear to show its head and grow to a suitable length - and today was the day. With the steamer on the boil and a plate warming in the oven, I used my new asparagus knife to cut the plant stem an inch below ground level, and four minutes later it was plated out on the table with a small amount of melted butter and some seasoning. Was it as delicious as I had hoped? It was certainly lovely and tender but whether it was quite up to the hype I am not sure. Perhaps a few spears combined with a couple of poached eggs will improve matters.