Column: Verlys Huntley, Notes from the farm

A little over two weeks ago, the soil was so saturated that I couldn’t even think about getting into the garden. We were walking in mud in some places up to our ankles, just to get asparagus picked. Now, with the recent high temperatures and strong winds, the soil is getting too dry in the garden. Today I am hooking up the hoses to water the strawberries. This is a critical time for them to have that moisture in order for the berries to get a nice size. I would rather have a nice rain, which is more beneficial by far, but can’t wait any longer. Maybe if I start watering things, that will bring rain. The strawberries are probably a week or 10 days from ripening, depending on the variety, and whether they were covered with straw over winter. We try to cover our strawberries each year in late fall, not only to protect those fruiting buds, but also to hold them back a little in the spring in order to avoid them blooming too early and getting hit by a late frost.

The field crops are looking great. The corn, which was planted later than normal due to such a cool, wet spring, is now looking great, and has a beautiful dark green color. Most soybeans are either up, or about ready to pop through the soil.

Farmers market update

Our local farmers market has some very exciting new things happening this year. We will be having more product demonstrations at the market. Last Saturday, Kim Olson made up a delicious radish spread, and served it on French bread made by one of our vendors. It was very good, and the recipe is on our Albert Lea Farmers Market Facebook page. We have other recipes available for seasonal produce, and copies are available on our recipe rack in the Red Barn. We also have a machine with ice cold water, which is proving very popular during the recent hot weather. You will also see a new hand-washing station, which we encourage both customers and vendors to use. It is conveniently located near the food serving area.

We also encourage all of you to look us up on our new website: www.albertleafarmersmarket.com. There is a lot of information there, including a vendor profile listing, showing all our recent vendors, along with where they are from and what they sell.

Also, we will soon be getting a wireless scanning machine which will enable us to take EBT or SNAP benefit cards, as well as credit or debit cards. The EBT or SNAP benefit cards will be matched dollar for dollar by Blue Cross/Blue Shield, on the first $5 of benefits used on each visit to the Farmers Market. What a wonderful way to get twice as much for your money! And a big thanks to Blue Cross/Blue Shield for helping fight hunger in our community, and helping support local small growers and producers.

Featured produce of the week: Asparagus

A harbinger of spring, the perky asparagus spears are the earliest of all vegetables you can grow in your garden, and nothing rivals the flavor of freshly picked asparagus. Asparagus is a good source of folate, Vitamin A and Vitamin C, and is very low in calories but high in fiber.

To get the best quality asparagus, you must pick it often (daily in warm weather), refrigerate it, and use while still fresh and most flavorful. Do not overcook asparagus. Whether grilling, roasting in oven, stir frying, microwaving or boiling it, cook only a few minutes. Overcooking will ruin the flavor, color and texture.

Asparagus can be successfully grown by home gardeners, if you have the space and a good sunny location. It is a perennial, and once planted, may keep producing for as long as 15 or 20 years, if cared for properly. To start asparagus, I recommend getting the roots, and planting them fairly early in the spring. Till up the soil, adding compost or fertilizer as needed. Dig a trench about 8 or 10 inches deep, lay the roots spread out in the trench, and cover with an inch or two of soil. Then after the plants start growing, and you are tilling or cultivating next to the row, gradually fill in more dirt. The first year you just let the plant grow up into a fern. The second year, you may be able to harvest some of the larger spears for a couple weeks, but let most of the stalks grow into ferns and build up that root reserve which will provide you a nice harvest the following year.

Asparagus parmesan

1-1/2 pounds asparagus, washed

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper

Cook asparagus 4 to 5 minutes in water (just until tender crisp). Melt butter in casserole and add drained asparagus. Combine grated cheese and salt and pepper and sprinkle on top. Bake at 450 degrees for 5 to 10 minutes until cheese is melted.

Verlys Huntley is a master gardener and the president of the Albert Lea Farmers Market.