Why we love Asparagus.

We love asparagus as if we were friends. It is the one vegetable taken for granted that illustrates the beauty of our seasons.

How can a vegetable that is available in stores the year round become a friend? Asparagus is available year-round in the stores from California and/or Mexico. It signals spring on restaurant menus and finds a prominent place on the grocers’ store shelf at that time but there is much more to the magic of Asparagus. When growing it on a farm, it is ever giving and very forgiving as a beautiful bountiful perennial, coming back every year with little maintenance or attention. Our asparagus bed is almost 35 years old, reseeding and renewing itself with little help from me. I call my asparagus garden the gift that keeps on giving. Not all crops are so easily adaptable or cooperative.

For us old sheep farmers, not family born farmers, we grew into farming as we tended our sheep and built our farm. We learned on our way, made many mistakes that we did learn from, the hard way. I always referred to our mistakes in farming as tuition. Experiential learning certainly makes an impact and stays with you through the years as you build your own encyclopedia of useful and useless information!

One of the hard learned lessons, especially farming in western PA, is that THERE IS A SEASON TO EVERYTHING. Asparagus is a spring crop, ready to spring forth, after a lengthy rest under mulch in the hardest weathers of winter. It appears like a welcome old friend, tentative at first and then into full bloom, available for picking daily for over a month depending on spring rainfall. This is why I consider it a faithful friend. It faithfully reappears as if to reassure me that it is indeed spring again, welcoming another season of beautiful bounty. This year we have had the pleasure of its company for almost 2 months! It is time to make soup and store our bounty in freezer.

Asparagus Soup:

When our supply of fresh asparagus is at its peak, we love this taste of spring.

2lb asparagus
4 Tablespoon butter
2 medium onions, chopped.
3 clove garlic cleaned and chopped.
6 cups homemade chicken stock
Salt & pepper to taste
¼ cup lemon juice

Melt butter in soup pot. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, approximately 8 minutes. Do not allow it to brown.

Clean asparagus, cut 1 “tops to save for garnish. Cut remaining spears into 1” pieces. Add to soup pot with chicken stock, salt, and pepper. Simmer for about 30 minutes, until vegetables are very tender.

Before serving, steam asparagus tips in small pan for two minutes, drain and chill in ice water. Drain and dry tips.

With immersion blender, blend soup until smooth. Return to heat and simmer longer if not thick enough. Add lemon juice, salt & pepper to taste.

Serve with asparagus tips as garnish.