NICOLA GALLOWAY

This week, two ways to prepare a delicious spring favourite – asparagus.

Growing food is a humbling experience. When I first started out I had great aspirations to grow many of the vegetables I would usually purchase from the market or shops. I have now tried most of these crops to varying degrees of success and worked out what works well in my garden, and what does not. The success, as with all gardens, largely comes down to the sun hours, which my valley garden lacks, and the microclimate of my location. Having a suburban section (800m2) also means I am juggling for space to grow food. The garden beds have a prime spot for sun through the seasons, while also leaving some lawn space for my energetic children to run around (plus fruit trees and a chicken run). This brings me to asparagus and the great aspiration I had in growing it. Unfortunately, when it came down to yield vs garden space required, the asparagus had to go. Truthfully, it never quite recovered from having the glasshouse built beside it.

What a difference this makes to available garden space. Do I miss the asparagus? Absolutely, fresh cut backyard asparagus is something else, and I am already planning new garden beds once the lawn space is no longer enjoyed by my children. Fortunately there is no lack of asparagus in spring. I carefully watch the price of new season asparagus and when it drops to my favourable amount it regularly lands in my shopping basket. Here are two recipes I have been cooking with it recently.