First posted May 26th , I have just re-posted this since I found some more free ranging asparagus this morning went to look for this post and realised I had somehow deleted it from the blog.
This morning I was walking down the canal to the post office to collect another undeliverable letter ( deep breaths , deep breaths) . I kept my eyes firmly on the hedgerows as ever but still thought I imagined it when I saw an asparagus stalk in the hedge. But there is was and another and another all about two foot high. I I broken one off close to the base and tasted the stalk definitely asparagus and so sweet and juicy. I pick 6 stalks cutting them with my house keys and headed to the post office with them dangling out the top of my bag.
I have never found asparagus growing wild before so I am not sure if this is an escaped cultivated variety it didn’t really look like an of the wild varieties I could find online, if anyone has any idea please comment
Back home I was already munching on the tender stalks so I dispense with cooking and went for a raw asparagus salad with some of the homemade cheese and some toasted breadcrumbs NB I keep bags of breadcrumbs in the freezer, pouring out enough in a pan to toast as required, this adds a lovely crunch so salads and risottos.
Raw Wild Asparagus and Homemade Cheese Salad
6 stalks of wild asparagus , stalks cut in half
30g of crumbled fresh cheese ( recipe here) or a crumbly goats cheese or feta
Handful of breadcrumbs
1 tsp of rape seed oil
Dressing
4 tbsp of rape seed oil
juice of half a lemon
Pinch of salt
Couple of grinds of pepper
- Mix together the dressing ingredients
- In a frying pan warm the breadcrumbs in rape seed oil til they are golden brown
- Mix the asparagus with the cheese and dress
- Scatter over the breadcrumbs
Looks delicious… i think its awesome that you’re able to find all these wild-growing veggies and herbs and are brave enough to pick them.
I wish i didn’t live in a city sometimes haha
-Andrés