SAVOUR & SIP
ELISHA EATS Tip-top It’s time to enjoy April’s tastiest produce – for the short time it lasts. Elisha Young (aka @elisha.eats on Instagram) gives the lowdown on asparagus season T he first time I ever saw asparagus growing, I was shocked. For some reason, I’d imagined that asparagus spears
came from a larger plant, and the tips were just the parts we cut off and ate. But back in 2020, when my only entertainment was walking around the fields near my house, I saw it growing for the first time. There were the asparagus tips – just poking out of the soil like long, greenish fingers. No leaves, no branches, just vertical stems tapering upwards into a point. Over the course of my wanderings, I watched as the asparagus grew, was harvested and finally went to seed – when it became a lush and abundant plant that didn’t resemble the veg we buy from the supermarket at all. It was fascinating and made me appreciate how lucky we are to live in an area where we can get our hands on fresh, locally grown asparagus. That summer, my family ate so much asparagus that my brother started complaining about it. There was asparagus in risotto or pasta. We ate it grilled, boiled and steamed. Look at any dish we’d made, and there was usually a spear or two on the side to add a bit of greenery. But asparagus genuinely is delicious, and has a very uniquely crunchy, yet tender texture that makes it addictive to munch on. If you’re imagining greyish-green vegetables cooked until they’re limp and mushy – I promise you, properly cooked asparagus is nothing like that. It’s vividly green and almost tastes like spring, a little bit sweet and almost grass-like. The best – and simplest – way to cook it is to take a handful of fresh spears and trim off the woody stems. Melt a little salted butter over a medium-high heat in a griddle or frying pan, then cook the asparagus for six to eight minutes, making sure you turn each spear so it’s evenly fried. You should end up with something bright
LOCALLY SOURCED Sautéed asparagus
paired with soft-boiled Cacklebean eggs from Ely’s Grain Culture
© ELISHA YOUNG
and May. I encourage you to go out into Cambridge and visit your favourite market stall or farm shop: see if you can source some locally grown spears. We’re lucky to live in farming country, where we can get our hands on seasonal produce that hasn’t had to travel far to reach our plates. If you’re not sure where to look, I recommend Culinaris, Meadows, Burwash Larder, Shelford Deli, the newly opened Flourish Farm Shop, The Gog and Radmore Farm Shop. But it’s at any good greengrocer or fresh produce stall – and sometimes in honesty boxes on the side of the road, which is how you know it’s really local! Even if I can’t sway you to cook some yourself, next time you’re in one of Cambridge’s wonderful independent restaurants and spot asparagus on the menu – why not give it a shot?
green that still has some bite, without being tough or difficult to chew. Season with plenty of salt and freshly cracked black pepper, and you have a delicious vegetable side dish. If you’re feeling fancy and want to indulge your brunch whims, you could soft-boil some eggs and have an upgraded eggs-and-soldiers moment. You could even wrap your asparagus spears in bacon for a luxurious and satisfyingly salty twist. Asparagus has a fairly short season, with the best produce available in April
Asparagus has a uniquely crunchy, yet tender texture that makes it addictive to munch on
CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK APRIL 2023 57
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