Stolking asparagus

Art Culinaire, Spring, 2003

asparagus Officialis... Wild in Nature

Every vegetable has a history, and asparagus is no exception. A member of the lily family, asparagus has been highly valued since ancient times; the Romans cultivated this perennial favorite as early as the first century A.D. A Roman patrician's pride and joy was his vegetables. It was a perfectly acceptable trade to raise vegetables, whereas raising cattle was considered uncivilized. The Romans were quite advanced in developing plants that would ensure them a full bounty of good tasting and nutritious vegetables. They took wild -- and sometimes unappetizing -- plants and transformed them into welcomed additions to the Romans' menus: in addition to asparagus, they cultivated cabbage, sprouts, broccoli, lettuce, endive, onions, leeks, artichokes, radishes, and cucumbers. In fact, the Romans' integration of a variety of vegetables into their menus has significantly influenced modern cuisine, and, the Romans' played an integral part in developing the agricultural practices we still follow today.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, Syria, Egypt, and Spain continued to cultivate asparagus. After its arrival in Europe -- mainly in France and the U.K.--different varieties of the plant were developed, more specifically those producing pencil-thin shoots as opposed to the large, thick stalks grown by Roman predecessors. Interestingly enough, North America did not cultivate asparagus in significant amounts until late in the 19th century.

Eat Your Vegetables

Soon after winter loosens its cold grip, asparagus stalks rear their beautiful heads up through the soil. Asparagus is one vegetable that we eat while it is still young and vital. This early harvest affords us the advantage of enjoying asparagus' tender, sweet characteristics. At this young stage, the vegetable is highly nutritious and contains the growing energy of the plant itself.

The medicinal virtues of asparagus are legendary. Folklore credits asparagus with everything from curing toothaches to aiding in reproduction. More recently touted beneficial ingredients of asparagus are Vitamins C, A, and E, and B Vitamin (folic acid), and the antioxidant glutathione -- known for being a powerful cancer fighter. Asparagus also contains calcium, copper, magnesium, iron, and phosphorous. And, if this dynamic beneficial combination isn't sufficient enough to merit bragging rights, the plant is also low in calories. One spear contains about four calories. Our knowledge about the nutritional value of asparagus only enhances our appreciation of this Old World plant.

Growing Pains

The section of a garden used for planting asparagus is often referred to as a permanent bed, and with a suitable climate and careful tending of the crop, asparagus will grow for fifteen to twenty-five years without replanting. Lee Jones of The Chef's Garden's is well-versed on the subject of permanent asparagus beds, but prefers to take a different approach to the standard philosophy of growing the plants: "We can plant roots two or three years in a row, but then go some years where we won't plant any new stock, and we usually have four or five plantings in at any one time. I know of some farms that have kept the rootstock for up to thirty years. We like to dig it up and break it apart on a more regular basis because the asparagus gets too big -- the stock seems to do better when it has a new start to it."

Despite the admirable longevity of an established asparagus bed, the plants get off to a slow start. Asparagus requires about three years from the time the crown is planted (it takes one year to grow a sufficient crown) until the bed is fully producing. These plantings will eventually yield eight to ten pounds per 100 square feet of raised bed or twenty-four to thirty pounds per 100 feet of row.

A Product of Its Environment

Three types of asparagus are most commonly cultivated worldwide: white, purple, and green. In Europe where white asparagus is prevalent, the plants basically never see the light of day during the entire growing process. The plantings are covered lavishly with fertilizer and harvested while still under soil level. This process tends to temper the flavor of the asparagus and promotes a larger, woodier stalk. Although European farmers typically use this particular growing technique, farmers in the United States do not necessarily embrace this method. According to Lee Jones, "In Europe the farmers throw dirt around the asparagus in order to blanch it. Unfortunately, the asparagus then becomes a product of its environment with the stalks becoming tough and woody on the outside. That's why French chefs have a tendency to peel the stalks. We've developed a system that thwarts this outcome. We built a greenhouse over the top of the rows so the asparagus doesn't need to push up through the dirt in order to blanch. The greenhouse also allows for ventilation so the plants don't become brown or rot. The greenhouse is basically a 300-foot dark tunnel. When it's time to cut the asparagus, we open up the end of the greenhouse, throw on a coal miner's hat with a lamp on it, and harvest the asparagus. With this growing technique, the asparagus skin stays tender, and there's no need to peel it. After all, the skin is where all of the nutrition and flavor lies, and isn't this what vegetables are all about?"