Growing. Thick, thin and fast

      The wonderful asparagus season is now in full and bountiful swing, the spears really are growing thick, thin and fast. There is round about fifteen minutes of cutting in the asparagus bed to harvest this quantity and inevitably the harder you cut it the more it grows. Lovely. Some of this cutting will be made into soup and frozen but the rest will be barely cooked and eaten with a little butter for dinner tonight and tomorrow.
      What is not to like?
      Sadly the season finishes on June 21st and although the vast majority of growers stop on that unofficial last day a few do carry on cutting. Our friend the farmer firmly maintains that the plants are stronger and more productive the next year if you leave them alone and let them turn into asparagus ferns.
      Who are we to disagree? The crop this year has been unbelievably prolific despite some serious cold spells, long may it continue. As I write this there are ten days of asparagus plenty to go.
      Keep on cutting and harvesting.