Aparagus

[Crumbling Nick]

The season has started, though the weather has not helped the producers. Odd bits of gras¹ grown in the Vale of Evesham or thereabouts have appeared in the supermarkets, almost hidden amongst the stuff from Peru.

So yesterday I rode towards Evesham & gathered a couple of rounds from one of the roadside 'shops' that I use. They were about twice the price of the supermarket asparagus.

Last night our meal started with asparagus, steamed to perfection, with a simple vinaigrette sauce. The flavour was certainly more than twice as good as the stuff in the supermarkets.

Tonight we had the second round, again steamed to perfection. It tasted only marginally better than the supermarkets' produce.

I feel a need to do more research as the season progresses .

¹ gras is a dodgy spelling. OED reckons grass derives from sparrow-grass, a corrupt form of asparagus. But the 'Round of Gras' is a very fine pub, even if they weren't open yesterday.

[fboab]

No sign of it as yet, and my regular ride goes past a handy stall. I've a horrible feeling they may have given up 

I like it best with hollandaise, or in a tart.

[marcusjb]

One of my favourite things in life - British asparagus.

23rd April is, as I understand it, the traditional start of the season - and still no sign of it in our local greengrocer (or the supermarket even) - no roadside stalls in West London sadly.

I am hoping that the season will get going - it also coincides with another favourite veg season of mine - Jersey Royals!
 

[FatBloke]

I went to see my supplier on Sunday - he said to come back in a couple of weeks!   
So I drank his beer with him instead!   

[fboab]

Stall was open when I passed today.
Nom.

[Wobbly John]

It's the change to colder weather that has held the 'sparrow-grass' back. Mine was breaking through over 3 weeks ago, but when it rained and cooled down, it stopped for 2 weeks. I probably won't cut any until the weekend. Some people on the allotments have started to cut some, but mine is slightly shaded by the shed and always is a week or so behind the rest.

BTW, it might just be a local thing, but round here, they talk about having a 'bait' of asparagus - I haven't heard of it being refered to as a 'round' as in the OP.

[hellymedic]

Had accidental feral gras in my garden for years.
Thin and spindly but very tender.
Never made it to the kitchen as it was eaten raw en route.
Dad sampled it shortly after I'd moved here. Said it tasted like asparagus he'd had as kid in the '30s...

[Canardly]

Well the asparagus in local Tesco was all a bit sad and uninspiring. If I see any at local market garden stall will certainly get some.

[rr]

My grandfather grew asparagus for King George V in the vale of Evesham. Drove through today the area was sodden.
It loses flavour as soon as it is picked buy it and eat it same day.

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[Crumbling Nick]

The lesson I learnt was that it deteriorates dramatically in a day. That means that the stuff the supermarkets sell (which is more than 24 hours old) will always be past its best-before date, regardless of their labelling.

Last Friday's purchase, from the Solihull farmers' market was even better. At £2.50 a round it needed to be . Stupidly I didn't make a note of the name & address of the stallholder, who is evidently from the Vale of Evesham & so would be another good excuse for a ride. Predictably, a Google search proved fruitless.

[fboab]

Ours is 'only' £2 a bunch. Bargainacious.

[dasmoth]

There was none at all at the local market (which for the last few years has been a reliable and not-too-eyewateringly-priced source of nice 'gras) on Saturday.  Hope it shows up soon!

[madcow]

I was out and about in Lincolnshire yday and saw  a harvesting gang at work but it was pretty thin crop so far.
Our local asparagus farm hasnt even started yet.
Knowing how some plants work ,stand by for an asparagus explosion in 2 or 3 weeks time or none at all.

[Charlotte]

It makes my wee smell funny 

[hellymedic]

It makes my wee smell funny 

I thought that applied to everyone...

[dasmoth]

It makes my wee smell funny 

I thought that applied to everyone...

Not everyone can smell it.

[madcow]

some people are immune to the effect on their urine (again genetics I believe) and some can't smell the effect when it is present.

[Oranj]

some people are immune to the effect on their urine

I am one such person. I don't know whether I'm missing out on much, to be honest!

[fboab]

I don't know if I'm immune or not, I don't really spend a lot of time sniffing my pee.

[dasmoth]

I don't know if I'm immune or not, I don't really spend a lot of time sniffing my pee.

Unless you habitually wear a gas-mask, this almost certainly means you're immune.

If you aren't, sniffing really isn't required.

[Oranj]

Unless you habitually wear a gas-mask, this almost certainly means you're immune.

If you aren't, sniffing really isn't required.

I can tell if an asparagus eater's been into the loo before me, so I guess it must be that my metabolism doesn't make the smelly compounds.