asparagus craze
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classic recipe: asparagus, ham, and boiled potatoes with hollandaise sauce
i arrived here in may at the height of asparagus (spargel in german) season. i have to admit that i did not know asparagus had a season and couldn’t register it’s abtruse, mass appeal. i just could not understand it. as i was looking for german asparagus recipes online, i found an article written for the dallas morning news by william a. davis in which he says “there’s a vegeatable-and it is not cabbage-that germans of all generations are absolutely mad about: asparagus”. it’s so true! he goes on to describe asparagus as “a symbol of spring in germany, a culinary first crocus, and its annual arrival is a cause for national celebration. during asparagus season, roughly from the end of april into early july, most germans eat asparagus at least once a day, and eateries all over the country, from corner taverns to three-star restaurants, offer at least one asparagus dish, but more often several.” i could not have described it any better. this year i decided to jump on the bandwagon. i experimented with a few different recipes and found the classic with hollandaise sauce to be the hardest. i just couldn’t get hollandaise sauce right. the third time, i just went to a restaurant in the next village and orderd a quarter of a liter. i added a teaspoon of heavy cream and a pinch of garlic which made it even more delicious. next it’s strawberries. they’ve already started picking the first ones at the field across from the bakery. this means june is coming. i love and delight in the symbols that the months and seasons carry. it’s a wonderful way to appreciate time.
