asparagus (climbing related)

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klk

Trad climber

cali

Topic Author's Original Post - Mar 21, 2009 - 10:30pm PT

Always hated asparagus. The way it tasted, the way it smelled. The weird way it looked. That tough, fibrous sensation under the tooth.

So I spent a month in Bavaria, researching a book on the history of alpinism and climbing as much as the weather would allow. little village after little village in May: asparagus season. each and every day:

Spargelfest! Asparagus on the news. Asparagus on the menu. In the store, the restaurants. Asparagus for lunch, dinner, entrees, appetizers. Spargelkremesuppe.

You guessed it: The bastards wore me down. I ended up really enjoying my last bowl of Spargelkremesuppe and found myself sorry that it would be the last.

May comes early in California, and today, in the green grocer's, row after row of spring Spargel. Thus tonight's dinner, an easy to make two-dish meal, suitable for camp and road:

http://food.ivillage.com/recipefinder/display/0,,gc7w,00.html

Lynne Leichtfuss

Social climber

valley center, ca

Mar 21, 2009 - 10:39pm PT

mmmmmm. Yummy ! If anyone needs a cook for a gathering and it's for fun, I volunteer. Lynne

BooYah

Social climber

Ruby Range

Mar 21, 2009 - 10:39pm PT

Plus, it makes your pee smell like death. Bonus.

mrtropy

Trad climber

Nor Cal

Mar 21, 2009 - 10:39pm PT

Is it from CA or Mexico, the CA stuff is just starting. In a couple years, because of the cheap Mexican stuff very commercial growers will be growing it in CA. Lots of family and organic farms will be though and it's easy to grow. I love the stuff and the way it makes your pee smell,not nice but interesting.
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/577/why-does-asparagus-make-your-pee-smell-funny

Edit- We make that same recipe sometimes!

Ricky D

Trad climber

Sierra Westside

Mar 21, 2009 - 10:39pm PT

Yer pee's gonna stink for a week dude!

klk

Trad climber

cali

Topic Author's Reply - Mar 21, 2009 - 10:45pm PT

"Yer pee's gonna stink for a week dude!"

Cool. Point me toward yer favorite route!

TGT

Social climber

So Cal

Mar 21, 2009 - 10:51pm PT

I planted about 40 ft of purple asparagus a few weeks ago. The stuff is finiky about soil pH etc. Had to buy 50 lb of hydrated lime ( I have fairly acid soil) and as it turns out I should have done that last year.

It's doing fine though. You plant it from live roots in a foot deep ditch and then begin filling the ditch with compost and pH adjusted soil over about six weeks. the stalks are just cresting the top of the trench.

I'll know how it turns out next year.

I wonder if it will produce purple stinky pee?

happiegrrrl

Trad climber

New York, NY

Mar 21, 2009 - 11:34pm PT

I had a rental house once that had a HUGE asparagus patch. It was like 5 by 10 feet. MORE asparagus than anyone could ever eat.

I like asparagus. I liked it when all I knew from asparagus was that mushy, canned stuff, to the HUGE PATCH asparagus galore to tender stalks from the store.

It would be nice to have a patch again, some day.

Toker Villain

Big Wall climber

Toquerville, Utah

Mar 21, 2009 - 11:35pm PT

Hail the asparagus!

Se the Kubrick film, The Killing.

Oxymoron

Big Wall climber

total Disarray

Mar 22, 2009 - 08:56am PT

Aparagus!!
Better than Arugula!!

howlostami

Trad climber

Southern Tier, NY

Mar 22, 2009 - 09:17am PT

The weird thing about asparagus pee is... only some people can smell it. Other people don't notice it at all.

http://www.chow.com/stories/10415

So which camp do you fall in to?

mooser

Trad climber

seattle

Mar 22, 2009 - 09:28am PT

klk: Es tut mir leid. Ich mag Spargel nicht!

Tomcat

Trad climber

Chatham N.H.

Mar 22, 2009 - 10:07am PT

Tradchick makes it in a hot iron skillet with olive oil and it's yummy dat way.

Reilly

Mountain climber

Monrovia, CA

Mar 22, 2009 - 01:14pm PT

A singular additional joy of climbing in eastern Washington in the spring was wandering the orchards and creek environs hunting the wary wild asparagus. Nothing like it on the market shelves but it was a formidable foe in that the canny wee uns employed a dastardly ally Toxicodendron diversilobum or poison oak to most of us.

mooser

Trad climber

seattle

Mar 22, 2009 - 01:18pm PT

Reilly: See? Another reason to not like asparagus--it can't be trusted.

mazamarick

Trad climber

Mar 22, 2009 - 01:23pm PT

Olive oil, garlic, seasoning, grilled or barbecued....delicious.

reilly, got any hot spots in E. Wash for picking? Morels' are going to be popping out soon as well, two varieties to harvest. I'm getting hungry.

Reilly

Mountain climber

Monrovia, CA

Mar 22, 2009 - 01:24pm PT

Mooser, I forgot to note asparagus' other toxic ally - Crotalus oreganus oreganus. No, not a stuttering Croatian living in Oregon but the Norther Pacific rattler. They like the smaller mammalians who also like asparagus. But I much prefer the lovely rattlers to the poison oak.

mazamarick

Trad climber

Mar 22, 2009 - 01:44pm PT

smells like a Les Schwab store on a hot day.

72hw

Trad climber

Pasadena, CA

Mar 22, 2009 - 02:16pm PT

Cali makes it in a skillet too and it rocks.

I like the skinny stalks sauteed with garlic and oil until they're crispy, then deglazed with balsamic.

I want to try the white asparagus, but it kinda freaks me out. Dunno why, just does - kinda like those freaky cave dwelling bugs that are all white and have no eyes, it just seems wrong... but the morbid curiosity remains!

As for my pee - maybe a bit of colour change but no stink. Hooray for me!