Vegetable gardening is an excellent lesson in delayed gratification. Planting a tomato seed means you'll eat a tomato in three months, not in three hours when you next get to the grocery store. If you're thinking that's a long damn time to be waiting for a tomato . . . well, you're right. But it is also SO WORTH IT when you eat one of those grown-from-seed tomatoes.
Yesterday we had the extreme gratification of eating asparagus from our garden. The eating of the asparagus was also extremely delayed. Asparagus isn't harvested for the first two years after it's planted, to give the plant time to establish itself. So the past two years we've watched those delicious spears come up out of the ground and grow into big, feathery asparagus trees. Beautiful, yes, but I really wanted to be eating the asparagus, not admiring it.
This year, the third year, we can harvest the asparagus for about two weeks. It produces continuously, until it's allowed to grow into the feathery trees, which it always is eventually. Mature asparagus can be harvested for an eight-week period. Our immature asparagus can only handle a couple of weeks of continuously being chopped down. Because of the crazy warm weather we had over the Easter weekend, the asparagus got a jump-start this year and I spied the first tips poking through the dirt last weekend. I got all excited, because everyone says asparagus grow so quickly you can hardly keep up. Everyone says they grow to maturity in one day.
Everyone wasn't counting on our nights in the thirties.
So I waited and I waited and I checked those asparagus spears every day. They grew slowly, not appreciating the cold nights and cool days we've been having. But finally, we ate the first asparagus last night. And you know what? TOTALLY WORTH WAITING FOR.
8 comments:
Yum, I love asparagus. We just planted 10 two year old crowns this year and I can't wait for our first harvest. Was hoping for some this year, but the stalks were way to thin. Figured we'll give them a year to get established, next year all bets are off...
But what you don't have to wait long for: asparagus pee. YOU know.
I agree, I just harvested a few of mine, can't harvest too many since it's only year 2.
Can't wait to have a huge patch and have to eat tons of asparagus for 8 weeks - bring it on.
Love mine braised in a skillet with a little balsamic & olive oil. MMMMMMM.
I planted asparagus last year and right, it does feel like forever. I'm hoping by next year they will be ready. Until then I have to buy the store bought ones.
Ooh! Asparagus! I don't grow this!
I will have to live through you on this one. So, please, tell me how you prepared it.
Go on now, I'm waiting.
For this asparagus, just steamed in a bit of water, then added a little butter and salt. Fancy preparations can wait till later.
It was amazingly sweet. One of those revelatory moments, like, "Oh! So THIS is what asparagus is SUPPOSED to taste like!"
And now I will never be able to eat the store kind again.
I planted my first asparagus last summer. I'm watching year 1 right now; or is it year two?
Oh this sounds so wonderful! I need to plant some asparagus this fall so we can start the clock to harvest.
Post a Comment