March is the peak month for asparagus in my garden. All of a sudden, when the weather is just turning slightly toward spring and the ground still has that grayish look to it and when nothing, but a few weeds are showing their heads – here comes the asparagus! One day little heads are poking up out of the ground by one or two inches, and the next day, WOW! There is a whole crop to be picked. This happens day after day. Sometimes, I think I have eaten so much asparagus that I should have green stalks growing out of my ears! But, in truth, I eagerly await that month of the earth’s unbridled generosity. And, to think, I was somewhat reluctant to start asparagus because it takes about two-to-three years to establish the bed and get a good crop.
Asparagus is very nutritious, and I will get on with that in a bit but let me first tell you about planting it.
When asparagus is planted, it needs a permanent area or bed where it will be able to establish deep roots. Once the plants are established, asparagus can be produced for 20 years or more! I started with heirloom seeds, called “Mary Washington.” The little plants begin with a fern-like growth of four to five inches. These are left to grow and, in the fall, they will turn brown and die back. The next year, some very thin asparagus stalks will form. They should be left uneaten (although the temptation to try them is very great), to turn into ferns, turn brown in the fall, and dry. The time and this process allow the root system to develop and the plants to gain strength through the reabsorption of nutrients.
By the third year, some thicker asparagus stalks develop. The thicker stalks can be harvested by cutting off at the base. I confess to eating some raw, just standing there in the garden – what a tasty pleasure! The thinner stalks, thinner than a regular pencil, are left un-harvested so that their nutrients go back into the plant. After getting the asparagus growing from seed, I bought some hybrid asparagus crowns and planted them in the asparagus plot to see what they would add to my harvest.
The hybrid varieties do not produce seeds, so lack the ability to reproduce themselves. The heirloom variety produces berries and seeds. The Mary Washington reseeds itself and keeps the asparagus bed refreshed with some new plants each year. Nature has cooperated by bringing some seeds to an adjacent bed, and I now have two beds of asparagus!
Asparagus does not like to compete with weeds, so keep the bed weeded. I do not use artificial chemical fertilizers but have a wonderfully active compost pile and put compost, as well as home-brewed compost tea, on the beds. Sometimes, I sprinkle horticultural molasses on the beds to give the soil microbes some energy.
In the fall, I cut down the dried stalks and use them to mulch the beds for winter protection and add some shredded leaves. In my area of the country, we do not always have severe winter freezes, but adequate mulching is important in the parts of the country where the winters are harsher. In the spring, I remove most of the mulch, but leave a little to decompose and nourish the plants.
Now, what do I do with all that asparagus?
The simplest way I prepare it is by microwaving for one minute. This is what I do: I rinse the asparagus and snap off a little of the bottom of the stalk. The stalk will snap easily where it is going to be edible. I place it in a shallow small platter, squeeze some lemon juice over it, and microwave for one minute. It comes out warm, slightly tender, but still with a little crunch, and is a beautiful green color. When I used to cook it on top of the stove, I was forever over cooking the asparagus. Then it lacked that beautiful fresh green color and was sort of limp.
Sometimes, I make a little dipping sauce for the asparagus. I stay away from sauces with added oils or eggs. I often use home-made vegan mayonnaise (made with tofu, soaked cashews, and spices) with some curry powder and lemon juice mixed together. You can use a non-fat salad dressing or spice-up some vegan yogurt, as you might use for a vegetable dip.
Some people like to grille asparagus with a little spray of olive oil, some fresh or powdered garlic, salt (very sparingly) and pepper. You have to do this in a hot (400-425 degree) oven and watch carefully that you don’t overcook!
The other night, I cooked asparagus as usual, cut it into one-inch pieces and added it to some cooked ziti, with a light spray of olive oil and some salt and pepper. It made a light, tasty, and quickly assembled supper. The combination of soft pasta and slightly crunchy asparagus was really nice. A non-fat vinaigrette could be mixed-in, and the dish chilled for a pasta salad. Other vegetables could be added such as minced red onion, bell pepper, small tomatoes, diced green or black olives, capers, little green peas and so forth.
I have also made asparagus soup by cooking the ends that I snapped off in some vegetable broth until they were tender, then pureeing in the mixture in the high-speed blender. Because some of the ends can be pretty fibrous, I strain the pureed mixture and season with a little salt (only if necessary) and pepper. If you want a “cream-based” soup or you can add some thawed frozen peas and/or little nut milk, and puree again. Either way, you have a nice soup that can be served hot or cold.
Now for the nutrition part of asparagus.
Every vegetable is a veritable chemical factory and asparagus is no exception. Besides the usual array of vitamins and minerals (vitamins A, B1, B2, C, E, magnesium, calcium, phosphorous, iron, folic acid) asparagus has an assortment of unique chemicals. Some of these are asparagine, arginine, tyrosine, powerful antioxidant flavonoids (kaempferol, quercetin, and ruin), resin, tannin, and essential oils. It also contains an assortment of saponins, chemicals that perform a variety biological activities as antioxidants, immunostimulants, antibacterials, and anticarcinogens to name a few. These may be considered a defense system for the plants; the antimicrobial properties, for example, protecting the plant from mold and insects. Asparagus is low in calories, 1/2 a cup cooked contains 20 calories and it has 2.2 grams protein, 1.8 grams fiber, a mix of vitamins, an astonishing 57% of the daily requirement of vitamin K (important in proper clotting of the blood and bone health), and 34% of folate (important in preventing birth defects). It is thought that asparagus has blood pressure-lowering properties, anti-inflammatory qualities, and perhaps some anti-cancer effects.
Do give growing asparagus a try. It is a great crop for a lazy gardener (me). Once it is established it requires little care and you can reap great nutrition and enjoyment from it!
