Real Food Friday: The Power of Asparagus

It happened this weekend at the farmers market. A moment that I eagerly anticipate more and more as each cycle of the seasons pass by. I caught a glimpse of those bunches of bright green spears between the heads of bustling shoppers, and burst out "Oh my god. Asparagus!" I ran. In an attempt to be modest, I bought only 3 bunches. Rookie mistake. Lets be honest, I can easily eat a whole bundle in one sitting.

For those of you who don't know of the phenomenal author by the name of Barbara Kingsolver, I am about to lady crush on her, hard. Her book titled "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" is the real life account of her family's attempt to live for one year off of just what they grow or raise themselves, or from what they can obtain locally through their neighbouring farmers and friends. It is a model of how I dream of living my life one day. She is a hardworking, eloquent and inspirational woman. Time magazine has called her "a gifted magician of words," and that she truly is.

It was a particular chapter in her book titled "Waiting for Asparagus" that really ignited my deep love and understanding of this strange and magical plant. She pours her love for this vegetable all over the pages of this chapter, but there was one part that really sums it up just perfectly...

"The asparagus plants life history sets it apart, giving it a special edge as the years first major edible. An asparagus plant only looks like it's picture for one day of it's life, usually in April, give or take a month. I've measured my years by asparagus and I've sweated to dig into countless yards I was destined to leave behind for no better reason that I believe and vegetables in general, and this one in particular. Gardeners are widely known and mocked for this sort of fanaticism. But other people fast or walk long pilgrimages to honor the spirit of what they believe makes our world whole and lovely. If we gardeners can, in the same spirit, put our heels to the shovel, kneel before a trench holding tender roots, and then wait three years for an edible incarnation of the spring equinox, who's to make the call between ridiculous and reverent?"

Detoxification, Health Benefits & Seasonal Eating

In a seasonally based diet in a northern climate, winter foods are generally hardy and starchy. This allows them to be stored for long periods of time, helping us to survive through long periods of cold weather when we are unable to reap much from the soil. Some examples of these vegetables are potatoes, squashes, yams, cauilflower, cabbage, carrots and parsnips. The general purpose of these vegetables is to keep us nourished and to maintain weight through our frigid winters. As spring approaches, nature begins to provide us with a bounty or vegetables and fruits that support detoxification and rejuvination, helping our bodies naturally shed some of the congestion and heaviness of our winter diets.

As we know, asparagus is the first major edible of the spring season, and is actually a member of the lily family. When planting this vegetable in your garden, you will not reap the rewards of an edible spear for three years, though a well managed bed of asparagus will produce for twenty to thirty years after that. The spears that we eat only looks like that for a day or two, and if they are not cut immediately those little leaves at the top open up into a beautiful fern-like plant. The price of local asparagus may seem a little higher than some vegetables, but that is because there is no machine cutting involved, these tender little babies must be cut by hand.

This green spear is not only delish, it packs a nutrient punch. It is an excellent source of folate, potassium, vitamins A, C, K as well as trace amounts of B vitamins. It has good amounts of phosphorus and niacin as well. It is rich in protein, is a source of dietary fibre and low in carbohydrates and calories. Most impressive though, it is one of the few vegetables that has the ideal 2:1 ratio of calcium to magnesium.

Asparagus is also rich in the amino acid called asparagine, which acts as a diuretic, cleansing the kidneys and removing waste from the body. This aids in the detoxification and rejuvination our body is craving in the springtime.

The health benefits of asparagus are numerous:

- It is highly alkaline, reducing acidity in the blood.

- It acts as a mild laxative due to it high fibre content, promoting regular bowel movements.

- It contains phytochemicals that can reduce inflammation in the body.

- It is a source of antioxidants (most importantly glutathione) that battle free radicals in your body.

- The diuretic effect can be beneficial to suffers of PMS, as it can help to relieve some of the bloating/inflammation.

- Due to its high content of folate (folic acid or B9), it can be beneficial to pregnant, or pre pregnancy women, as it is a vitamin that is vital in healthy cell division during pregnancy.

So like Barbara wrote, asparagus is the edible incarnation of the spring equinox, the changing of the seasons. Isn't it truly beautiful that nature provides us with exactly what our bodies need in perfect harmony with the seasons? When we can become in tune with our environment and what it has to offer us, we become aware of an astounding abundance that is nourishing to not only our physical bodies, but our mind and spirit as well.

Roasted Local Asparagus

1-2 Bunches local, seasonal asparagus

1-2 teaspoons, dried rosemary

1-2 teaspoons. sea salt

1-2 tablespoons, organic olive or coconut oil

1/2 lemon, juice and zest

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and wash your asparagus with cold water. Snap off woody ends if neccessary (our local farmer sells them with the ends aready broken off). In baking sheet, lay asparagus out flat in a single layer. Add in oil, salt and dried rosemary and mix until asparagus is fully coated. Put in oven, and bake for 10-12 minutes or until desired tenderness/crunchiness and remove from oven. After about 6 minutes I usually give the pan a quick shake to prevent burning. Finish with the juice of half a lemon, and grate a little lemon zest on top. I eat them on their own, or with a baked yam or chicken breast. This recipe can also be used on the BBQ now that the beautiful Okanagan sun is shining!

Seasonally yours,

Cayla Lou

#asparagus #seasonaleating #local #greens #realfoodfriday #farmersmarket #detoxification #BBQ