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Spring Shoots Going Fast
May 7, 2008
Spring Shoots Going Fast
Farmers' Markets DENISE MILLER For the Journal
Editor's note: Between growing seasons, Denise Miller of the New Mexico Farmers' Marketing Association spotlights local growers and their products. Her column appears the first Wednesday of the month.
If you're an asparagus fan, now is the time to search the farmers' markets for this shortseasoned delicacy. But don't oversleep, or you will likely miss out.
Richard and Martha Van Riper of Corrales know firsthand how quickly their market asparagus disappears.
"This is the first year we have had enough asparagus in the patch to share, and we usually bring about four or five pounds to market, which sell right away," Martha says.
Asparagus, Greek for "shoot," has long been a culinary pleasure coveted by many cultures. It is highly nutritious, and when it's garden-fresh, it is extremely sweet and tender.
It is often said that on a warm spring day you can almost see asparagus grow-- a stalk can grow 7 inches in one day. If you've ever tasted a spear right out of the dirt, you know these speedy growers are good even raw.
Asparagus prefers sandy soil to grow in, and as Richard described their 4-acre farm in Corrales, the land is basically sand and silt.
If you've ever wondered why you don't see more asparagus at growers' markets, or why it commands a relatively high price, it's because of labor and space.
Asparagus usually takes three years in the ground before it produces edible shoots. When the shoots grow, they grow at different times and have to be harvested one at a time, by hand, at different times. Add to that that it has a season of only about six weeks.
Finally, despite the short producton season, the plants must occupy their spot for the entire year, meaning that the farmers can't plant another crop on that land after asparagus is finished in the spring.
Martha recommends storing the asparagus upright in your refrigerator with the bottoms in a container of water, like flowers.
Asparagus -- especially market fresh -- does not need to be peeled first. To remove the woody base, either chop it off or snap it using your hands. It should snap right at the point where it starts to get tough.
You can boil or steam asparagus (steaming will leave more nutrients), but don't overcook it, as you don't want it mushy. Serve it warm, and remember it will continue to cook for a few minutes after it is drained.
Martha's favorite way to prepare it (and my own) is grilled. Brush the stalks with olive oil, add a little salt and pepper, and either put it in a foil packet as Martha does, or for a slightly crispy version, put it directly on the grill for 5-10 minutes.
You can get a similar effect by roasting olive-oiled spears in a 400-degree oven for 15 minutes or placing them under the broiler for about 10 minutes.
While fresh-picked asparagus would probably last a couple of weeks in your fridge, there are many "plot to pot" fans who maintain asparagus should be eaten as soon as possible after being cut because its sugars will convert to starch, making it less sweet and flavorful.
All of the Van Ripers' produce is pesticide-free and grown with organic principles. Throughout spring--in addition to asparagus--you will find arugula, lettuce, kale, spinach, collards, swiss chard, leeks, fava beans, sugarsnap peas and rhubarb on their table. Come summer and fall, look for everything from eggplant to sweet potatoes.
Richard retired from IBM in New York 10 years ago. While he has always grown at least a few tomato plants, once he got to New Mexico, his 400-square-foot vegetable plot mushroomed into what is now more than an acre of fruit trees and vegetables that produce more than 250 pounds of fresh produce they haul to the Corrales market each week.
He said he and Martha they have now become local food evangelists, preaching the many values of buying locally grown food.
"The primary reason for shopping at market is freshness and taste," said Richard, "but the notion people are also saving energy is not as widely understood.
"When conventional produce is grown, transported and distributed to stores, not only are we are using energy to cool it, ship it and store it, but the produce is aging and vitamins are being lost."
Now, in addition to talking to their customers about these ideas, the Van Ripers have also started a lending library of suggested reading right from their market table. "We're hoping to enlighten, as well as feed people," he said.
FEATURED GROWERS
WHO: Richard and Martha Van Riper
CROP: Asparagus
SEASON: Now through end of May/ early June
NUTRITION: A nutrient-dense food, asparagus is high in folate (folic acid), fiber, potassium, thiamin, vitamins B6, A and C. It has no fat, no cholesterol.
WHERE TO FIND THEM: Corrales Growers' Market or nmfarmer.com
