Food and Wine: Coming Right Up

There are countless things to love about spring, but if you’re a locavore, you probably look forward to the appearance of fresh asparagus beginning in April and ending roughly six weeks later. Asparagus officinalis, a perennial member of the lily family, is the first vegetable to push its head up through the soil. Its fast-growing, tender green spears must be harvested the day after they appear, usually at heights of 6 to 12 inches (spears can grow a full 10 inches in 24 hours). If the stalks are left on the plant too long, each triangular scale on the spear will sprout into a branch bearing feathery fronds, similar to its cousin, the asparagus fern.

Asparagus was grown commercially in South Carolina as early as the 1890s; production peaked in acreage around 1936, and declined steadily thereafter until it disappeared from the commercial farm rosters in the mid-1950s. Though it is no longer a cash crop in South Carolina, with the right care and plenty of patience, asparagus will grow in a home garden.

The claw-shaped root, or crown, must be planted in 6- to 8-inch-deep trenches. Then it takes three years until the root system grows strong enough to send up green shoots to produce a harvest. White asparagus, considered a delicacy by many—especially in Europe where its harvest inspires dedicated restaurant menus—is not, in fact, a separate type of plant. Its stalks are simply prevented from turning green by covering the shoots with soil as they grow.

A good source of calcium, iron, and vitamins A and C, asparagus is also chock full of antioxidants. It can be steamed, boiled, stir-fried, grilled, or roasted, with the latter two cooking methods lending a smoky, caramelized note to the taste. It’s important not to overcook this vegetable, since you want to retain its bright green color and a bit of a crisp bite. Though often served napped with hollandaise sauce, asparagus benefits equally well—if not better—from a pat of butter, a squeeze of lemon, and a sprinkling of fleur de sel.