In keeping with Jessi’s Mudrakers post on the delight of eating right out of the garden, I have to share the life-changing experience I had with asparagus yesterday.
I was walking around the park-like garden of Joanne and Don Knobbs in the Kayak Point area west of Stanwood, which is set to be featured in The Herald H&G section on June 4 and on the Purrfect Pals Cats ‘N Garden Tour on June 7.
The Knobbses showed me their amazing vegetable garden, including their bed of asparagus. I took great interest in it, of course, having just read the incredible, not-to-be-missed, not-overrated-I-swear, “Animal, Vegetable Miracle,”. Barbara Kingsolver goes on at length in her beautiful way about homegrown asparagus.
Though I was enchanted by her writing and the idea of my own asparagus someday, I didn’t really “get it” until Don and Joanne Knobbs ceremoniously cut one of their fresh purple asparagus spears from the earth.
Don told me to bite its head off. I wouldn’t be disappointed, he said.
Wow.
It was a party in my mouth and all of spring was invited.
It was … so light, so delicate yet crisp, so sweet, so … incredibly … subtle.
I could never describe it justly.
Joanne said she and her husband delight in eating the spears unsteamed, like fresh-from-the-vine beans or peas. They also like it sliced and tossed raw into salads.
Oh, boy, I can see why.
Please share your asparagus stories in the comment section below or write me here.
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