This weekend we marked the first extended and actual taste of summer with another brief but comprehensive indulgence of this flavor in the Pioneer Valley.
The asparagus moment is upon us people, we had to do it.
The Pioneer Valley (90 miles west of Boston and a bit north if you travel Route 2 and know when to dip off into the back roads and hills) is *the* place to go for ‘gus. In Hadley, the town bookended by Amherst and Northampton and entangled in the Connecticut River, there is magical soil where the stuff grows perfectly and abundant. There are literally stands at the end of peoples’ driveways all over town. It’s sitting out in bunches for $3.50 and if you need change, you take it from the honor box.
Some fun things we learned from a story in Edible Pioneer Valley:
- The French use the word “asperge” as slang for penis. In the 1500s, the English mutated the Persian asparag (”sprout”) into the adorable “sparrowgrass.”
- During WWII, American spies were allegedly told to eat asparagus as a survival tactic. Because it would make their pee smell and if they urinated in lakes and oceans, the scent was like a siren song to fish, making them easier to catch and eat.
- About 21 farms in the Pioneer Valley harvested 53 acres of ‘gus. And most of it stays in the valley, so you must go there to fetch it. Oh yeah, and they call it Hadley grass, if you need to ask.
We managed to consume the local stuff in soup form at dinner on Sunday night; in omelette form for brekkies the next day; in ice cream form at Flavyvor’s later on – that’s me tasting it in the photo; also the cow whence the cream came and the field whence the ‘gus was grown. We also brought back two bunches and grilled them for dinner. We recommend this!
Wow… great ‘gus blog!! Back before blogs existed (80’s), I worked on the Laurenitis Farm in Sunderland, MA aka Pioneer Valley and loved picking asparagus… not to mention cooking it within hours after picking it. Do you know how to pick asparagus? It is kind of cool… we used a spear shaped tool and cut each piece off at the stem as they grow straight out of the soil. I think that it takes about 3 years to get your first crop of asparagus. Not so local, but there are also some amazing asparagus fields near Hart, Michigan. Enjoy… and don’t miss your 11am appointment with the asparagus basket @ Copley
I am a HUGE asparagus fan as well so I loved this post. When I was little my grandparents always planted a large garden and the asparagus patch was called “Erin’s Asparagus Patch.” My mom also has a small one at her house now that also technically “belongs” to me but I unfortunately wont get to Maine in time to eat it this year. Hopefully I can find some local asparagus at one of the markets this week. Although I draw the line of having it in ice cream form.
“The French use the word “asperge” as slang for penis. ”
Oh my goodness. I didn’t know that. Not sure if that’s good or bad.
Asparagus is great in my book - but it has to be really fresh doesn’t it? What we get in the grocery store here usually isn’t worth buying.
I went to college in the Pioneer Valley. All this time, I had no idea Flayvor’s had asparagus ice-cream…