Here’s a promise of spring: locally grown asparagus will be available mid-April. According to Allen Scharf of Scharf Farm near Millstadt, Ill., “It’s the first crop to come up. When the daffodils bloom, the asparagus starts up.”
This member of the lily family, cousin to both onions and garlic, grew wild on the banks of the Nile when pharaohs ruled. The Roman emperor Augustus loved asparagus and often said, “Let it be done quicker than you could cook asparagus.” Louis XIV’s passion for the aristocratic vegetable caused royal gardeners to raise it year-round in greenhouses. Asparagus appeared as early as April 6 in Washington markets, according to Thomas Jefferson’s market notes. That’s about a week earlier than Scharf Farm’s asparagus should arrive at Soulard Farmers’ Market this year.
“We don’t disturb the asparagus beds until the first of April, when we’ll clean them up,” said Scharf. “If you uncover before the soil warms, a cold snap could freeze it all.” The weather isn’t the farmers’ only difficulty raising asparagus. To control weeds, workers regularly cultivate the beds. And since the shallow crowns, as the roots are called, can be easily damaged, weeding is tricky. Weeds left untended, especially smartweed, cause another problem. “Japanese beetles love smartweed. When it’s gone, they move on to the asparagus ferns,” said Scharf.
Scharf’s harvests asparagus every day in the season, sometimes twice a day if there is a warm rain. Each spear is hand-cut. “With 10 acres under cultivation, we’ve relied on Eugenio Gomez and his family to help us grow asparagus for over 20 years. We simply couldn’t do it without their help,” Scharf said.
If you’re thinking about an asparagus bed at home, Bayer’s Garden Shops and Rolling Ridge Nursery both sell asparagus crowns. Patty Pollihan at Bayer’s said, “We’ve been in business 42 years, and we sell asparagus roots every year. Plus,we have printed directions for gardeners.” With care and maintenance, beds can produce for 10 to 15 years.
Sam Hilmer of Walnut Grove Farm in Eureka noted, “An asparagus bed needs several years just to get established.” He’s grown white asparagus the past six years, covering emerging spears with a plastic tarp to prevent exposure to sunlight, which causes spears to turn green through photosynthesis. This year, Hilmer plans to concentrate on his vineyards. Cooks looking for Hilmer’s white asparagus at Clayton Farmers’ Market in May will be disappointed. But, said Hilmer of his quarter-acre asparagus plot, “It’s nice to have a plentiful supply for myself. Fresh out of the field, I cut it, sauté and enjoy.”
Cooking fresh asparagus is uncomplicated. During asparagus season, Scharf’s wife, Nancy, has little time to fuss with food. “Allen likes asparagus steamed, just barely cooked, with a little butter or margarine,” Nancy Scharf said. “Our customers give us great recipes, but we don’t have time to try them.”
Asparagus can be a feast for the eyes as well as the palate. Its form, flavor and color inspired Martin Kaplan and Joan Weber to create a variation of the classic salad niçoise using asparagus. The duo first cooked together at Marty’s Baking. They believe cooks need to be flexible. Kaplan said, “We grant ourselves permission to stray from culinary orthodoxy. With tender, firm asparagus spears just coming into their own, why not use them in place of traditional haricots verts for this salad? Besides, the green beans are rarely found in prime condition and cost more than T-bone steak.”
This spring, executive chef John Griffiths at An American Place will be looking for white asparagus and petite varieties of the green. “White asparagus has a subtle flavor. It’s magnificent to look at, the texture is delicate and it’s quite tender,” he said.
Whether at the family dinner table or in a restaurant, asparagus is sure to please this spring. Jefferson also noted the latest date asparagus appeared in Washington markets as June 27, so we have at least six weeks, maybe more, to enjoy.
This article appears in March 2024.