The cool weather on the Prairies has kept asparagus spears from popping
out of the ground, but they’ll be there as soon as the weather warms
up. In my farm garden it was the first vegetable of the year to enjoy.
Asparagus is a miraculous little plant of the lily family. It survives
in the ground through our cold winters. It is productive, with one
crown producing many delicious and nutritious spears in one season.
Under good growing conditions, asparagus can grow up to 25 centimetres
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in one day. If left unpicked, the spears turn into beautiful tall
ferns, with green foliage and red berries, often used by florists.
Growing asparagus
Asparagus can be started by planting seeds or crowns, which are
two-year-old root clumps. For crowns you need to dig a trench. In our
cold climate, dig down 20 to 30 cm in the spot where the row is
desired. For milder climates the trench only needs to be five to 10 cm.
The crowns should be placed at the bottom of the trench, 30 cm between
plants in rows a metre apart. Cover with 2.5-five cm of soil, and water
them to eliminate air pockets. As the plants grow over the next few
weeks, push more dirt back into the trench until it is level with the
surrounding soil. Do not cover the growing points of the plants.
For the first season (two seasons if starting from seed), no harvest
should occur. The following season you should only harvest spears for a
week or two, and then let them grow. After that, harvest the spears
when they are the diameter of a pencil, leaving the small plants alone.
Asparagus is a heavy feeder, and will need to be fertilized twice, once
when the plants are just breaking dormancy, and again when you are
finished harvesting. The plants may take five years to reach maturity,
but your patience will be rewarded. Mature asparagus plants can often
be harvested for up to eight weeks and will produce for about 15 years.
As a food
Asparagus is a nutrient-dense food that is fat free and has no
cholesterol. It is low in sodium and calories and is a good source of
vitamins C and A, potassium, folic acid and many of the B vitamins.
Green and white asparagus are equally nutritious. White is grown
beneath the ground, protecting spears from sunlight.
Green asparagus has a more intense aroma and taste than white.
Ham asparagus rolls
14 thin slices cooked ham
prepared mustard
42 asparagus spears,
fresh or canned
3 tablespoons butter 45 mL
or margarine
1/4 cup flour 50 mL
11/2 cups milk 350 mL
3/4 teaspoon salt 3 mL
1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 mL
1 cup grated medium 250 mL
cheese
1/4 cup green onions, 50 mL
sliced very thin in rings
Spread each slice of ham with mustard. Lay three asparagus spears on
each slice, alternating tips for appearance and ease of rolling. Roll
up and arrange in casserole, seam side down. Melt butter in medium
sized saucepan. Stir in flour. Add milk. Stir and cook until bubbling
and thickened. Add salt and pepper. Stir in cheese until melted. Add
green onions. Stir and pour over meat rolls. Cover. Bake in 350 F (180
C) oven for about 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly and the asparagus
cooked.
Source: Company’s Coming, Casseroles by Jean Pare.
Sausage and asparagus
This is a good seeding time recipe.
1 pound Polish, 500 g
Italian or pork sausage
1 pound fresh 500 g
asparagus
4 medium potatoes
1 medium onion, sliced
1 can (14 oz.) stewed 398 mL
tomatoes
1/2 cup seasoned 125 mL
croutons
Remove casings from sausage and cut into bite sized pieces. Sauté until
browned; drain fat. Clean and cut asparagus into pieces 2.5 cm long.
Pare and slice potatoes 0.5 cm thick. Add asparagus, potatoes, onion
and tomatoes to sausage. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender,
about 20 to 30 minutes. Do not stir during cooking time. Sprinkle
croutons over vegetables. Cover and heat five minutes more. Serves
four.
Homemade cheese spread
Dear TEAM: I hope you are able to help me. I am looking for the recipe
for a cheese spread my mother made many, many years ago from a cottage
cheese base. I can’t recall the other ingredients but I do remember
standing at the hot wood stove stirring constantly so the mixture would
not stick and burn. We did not have an icebox or refrigerator, but I
recall the cheese lasting many days in the jar until it was used up. It
made tasty cheese sandwiches for school. – H.R., Holbein, Sask.
Dear H.R.: I was able to find a recipe for making a cheese spread in
Emmie Oddie’s Western Producer column, May 8, 1986.
4-5 cups cottage 1-1.25 L
cheese
1 teaspoon baking 5 mL
soda
1 teaspoon salt 5 mL
1/2 cup butter 125 mL
1/2 cup sweet cream 125 mL
Mix the first four ingredients. Let stand one hour to overnight. Place
in the top of a double boiler over boiling water. When it begins to get
hot, stir in the sweet cream. The mass will be stringy at first but
with stirring and cooking it will smooth out. Cook for 3/4 to one hour.
Turn out into a greased glass dish and let stand two days or longer.
Carrot juice, paprika or 1/4 cup (50 mL) grated strong cheddar were
recommended as suitable additions for increased flavour or colour.
Alma Copeland is a home economist from Rosetown, Sask., and one of four
columnists comprising Team Resources. Send correspondence in care of
this newspaper, Box 2500, Saskatoon, Sask., S7K 2C4.
