Which always makes me think of playing Maria in West Side Story, “white is for babies!” but then as I’m sure you know by now, my links are at best tenuous and at worst, well arbitrary... and that’s being kind.
Seasonality is a big thing for me, so cakes, and bread aside I am very happy at this time of year because we have ASPARAGUS! Or sparrowsgrass as my darling Daddy used to call it. I have no idea why, but it’s a clear and happy memory which is important to me. It would have been his birthday recently so I thought this might be a good time to see a mini-Penelope and her Dad.
Anyway, you can stop thinking – what was she wearing? Now, thank you very much (she says looking down at a sparkly purple Xanadu t-shirt and yoga pants with slippers. Erm...OK so moving along) because asparagus and it’s lamentably short season – to paraphrase Laura of Hungry and Frozen in her quest for quinces lately “from 5pm Monday till 3am Tuesday” is the topic of the day.
Anyway, you can stop thinking – what was she wearing? Now, thank you very much (she says looking down at a sparkly purple Xanadu t-shirt and yoga pants with slippers. Erm...OK so moving along) because asparagus and it’s lamentably short season – to paraphrase Laura of Hungry and Frozen in her quest for quinces lately “from 5pm Monday till 3am Tuesday” is the topic of the day.
I wait for April and May to come around (depending on the weather) and for English Asparagus to hit the shelves, each supermarket brands the bundles with as many Union Jacks as two elastic bands can hold and trumpets with delight “English Asparagus. Season SHORT!” As all too soon we will be left with stocks imported from Peru. Now as sure as I am there’s nothing wrong with asparagus from Peru (after all this blogger likes to do her bit in the name of world peace et al) but I would rather mine had travelled from Kent than Cuzco.
All of that said, and powerfully so as I’m sure you’ll admit, I am always at a bit of a loss for what to do with asparagus. I love it, but end up just eating it steamed with butter and a little black pepper which as I’m sure you agree lacks originality. Not being particularly starving yesterday I plumped for the asparagus with poached eggs on toast. I didn’t need the toast.
I brought a pan (with a lid) of water to the boil, and popped two eggs in poachpods (I know they’re cheating, but just can’t get the swirly water thing right) and at the same time dropped in my asparagus, and put the lid on. After five minutes, voila! Perfectly poached eggs, with asparagus for dipping. And toast as a completely extraneous side. 
2 comments:
Delightful.
But it's all well and good until you realise that student loans don't support anything other than the Special K diet.
Alas!
This is why in the old photo of me, I'm at my dad's. The only way to get decent food whilst a student. Although I did a remarkable line of variations on the theme of tomato pasta! Still it doesn't last for ever. Long enough!
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