OP
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CWS4322
Chef Extraordinaire
I'm going on a ramp-age this weekend and hoping to keep my morels intact.
Morel Mushrooms...
- Thread starter CWS4322
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Greg Who Cooks
Executive Chef
I've never seen asparagus in So. California or in the states I most often visit, northern Arizona and Utah, not that I'd expect to find asparagus in the desert areas I visit.
Well I see a lot of it in supermarkets.
Well I see a lot of it in supermarkets.
Time to find some sandy spots along irrigation ditches...
OP
OP
CWS4322
Chef Extraordinaire
Arizona is one of the states that produces a lot of asparagus for suppermarkets. In another life, I was a tour manager. One of the couples on one of the tours was from AZ and they were asparagus farmers. From the gentleman, I learned that asparagus grows 1/4 inch after it is cut.I've never seen asparagus in So. California or in the states I most often visit, northern Arizona and Utah, not that I'd expect to find asparagus in the desert areas I visit.
Well I see a lot of it in supermarkets.
Greg Who Cooks
Executive Chef
I've never seen asparagus in the Grand Canyon. Unless I brought it of course.
Do you know what it looks like in the wild? I don't think they are that obvious.I've never seen asparagus in the Grand Canyon. Unless I brought it of course.
sparrowgrass
Head Chef
I lived in Utah for a while, and asparagus does indeed grow along the irrigation ditches.
Margi Cintrano
Washing Up
spugnola funghi
CSW,
firstly, gorgeous foto and i love spugnola variety as they are called in italia and in spanish they are called colmenilla
they are refined and delicate and have a spongy appearance.
i sauté in EVOO with minced garlic and sea salt and finely chopped parsley, divine ... nothing more ...
CSW, i would however, suggest sincerely that u have a biologist botanist take a look at your land to insure safe gastronomic edibility
one can find the local universities only to pleased to take a look in confidence for a TAPA sized appetiser ! one can benefit on the knowledge imparted greatly ---
have a lovely day
MARGI
CSW,
firstly, gorgeous foto and i love spugnola variety as they are called in italia and in spanish they are called colmenilla
they are refined and delicate and have a spongy appearance.
i sauté in EVOO with minced garlic and sea salt and finely chopped parsley, divine ... nothing more ...
CSW, i would however, suggest sincerely that u have a biologist botanist take a look at your land to insure safe gastronomic edibility
one can find the local universities only to pleased to take a look in confidence for a TAPA sized appetiser ! one can benefit on the knowledge imparted greatly ---
have a lovely day
MARGI
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Greg Who Cooks
Executive Chef
Well I'll prepare for camping next time by reviewing what wild asparagus looks like.
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CWS4322
Chef Extraordinaire
Wild asparagus looks just like that you see in the store, only the stalks aren't a uniform size. Also, when left on its own, it will branch out before it goes to seed. You can still eat it, but you'll have to top it higher up. I ate my wild asparagus last night. In 10 days, I'll be harvesting it again--I'll photograph it before I harvest it for you. The bigger the stalk (diameter), the older the plant. The "rule" I was taught was that we could harvest it from about May 15 (coincided with the opening of walleye fishing season) until July 4th. That was in MN. I have been gathering and eating wild asparagus since I was knee-high to a grasshopper (translated--that is a very, very long time).
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OP
OP
CWS4322
Chef Extraordinaire
Thanks for the advice. I live in the country. Since 1990, no chemicals have been applied to the lawn or the apple tree. I'm pretty sure it was safe to eat--(and, my dad has a degree that qualifies him to ID it for me, not to mention 40-45 years experience gathering them--he may be 80, but he knows his morels). I was rusty--it has been 20 years since I went morel picking and wanted to make sure it was what I thought it was--I wasn't aware that morels grew in this area. I already ate it and feel FINE! Just disappointed I didn't find any more, yet.
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Greg Who Cooks
Executive Chef
Sounds good.
Another thing I recall, camping in the High Sierras, we used to gather watercress and have a watercress salad with our trout dinner.
Another thing I recall, camping in the High Sierras, we used to gather watercress and have a watercress salad with our trout dinner.
OP
OP
CWS4322
Chef Extraordinaire
Watercress grows in very cold water. Last April when I went to MN, we went to WI for my uncle's b'day (Easter weekend, 2011). On Easter Sunday, we went out and gathered watercress. It was a pain to clean, but oh was it good! I miss watercress. I've tried to "seed" the area in the bush around the culvert, but the water is not cold enough (or deep enough).Sounds good.
Another thing I recall, camping in the High Sierras, we used to gather watercress and have a watercress salad with our trout dinner.
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Steve Kroll
Wine Guy
Asparagus in the wild looks exactly like cultivated asparagus. What you want to look for if you are hunting it is the previous year's dead asparagus stalks that grew out and went to seed. You should find this year's young stalks growing nearby.
They aren't that obvious to an inexperienced asparagus hunter because they are low to the ground and us inexperienced asparagus hunters are not as familiar with the appearance of the old stalks. I know, they are easy to spot, once you get the knack. The rest of us can walk right by them and not notice.
OP
OP
CWS4322
Chef Extraordinaire
Last year's stalks will be hollow. But, this is why I mark asparagus in August re: new terrain. And, start looking around the first week in May in our area for the shoots to be poking through the ground (and get back to them before the deer find them).
Greg Who Cooks
Executive Chef
I can imagine that deer must love them! I like to eat the more tender parts raw sometimes myself, like in salads. I've served them as part of mixed vegetables and a dipping sauce too.
OP
OP
CWS4322
Chef Extraordinaire
I love raw asparagus. We would nibble on the smaller stalks when we picked it. Our favorite way to eat it is still steamed (we have an old coffee pot that is just for steaming the asparagus standing up) with butter, s&p, and fresh lemon zest. I know, you can grill it, etc., but I still love it just plain. I tried to schedule a trip to MN in June just for asparagus and morels, not going to happen.
Greg Who Cooks
Executive Chef
It's nice to hear that I'm not the only one who loves asparagus. I find it difficult to resist nibbling on it when I'm preparing dinner intending to serve it as the main vegetable, particularly those tips! I too like them best steamed, with just butter and salt. They taste good included in other dishes too but nothing is better than just steamed.
I wonder how many people realize that asparagus is supposed to be kept standing in water until you're ready to cook and eat them. I used to get in endless rounds of arguments with the local supermarket produce department and even the store manager, complaining about them just throwing the bundles in a pile instead of standing them in water. I've seen what was once beautiful asparagus the day before turned into limp junk because the supermarket just didn't care.
I take my asparagus home and cut 1/4 inch off the bottoms (just like cutting rose stems) and put them in water to keep them hydrated. If they're going to be around more than a day I throw a plastic bag over the top (to keep out smells) and stand them in the refrigerator still in water.
It would be fun to find them in the wild. I too can be some sort of grazing beast!
I wonder how many people realize that asparagus is supposed to be kept standing in water until you're ready to cook and eat them. I used to get in endless rounds of arguments with the local supermarket produce department and even the store manager, complaining about them just throwing the bundles in a pile instead of standing them in water. I've seen what was once beautiful asparagus the day before turned into limp junk because the supermarket just didn't care.
I take my asparagus home and cut 1/4 inch off the bottoms (just like cutting rose stems) and put them in water to keep them hydrated. If they're going to be around more than a day I throw a plastic bag over the top (to keep out smells) and stand them in the refrigerator still in water.
It would be fun to find them in the wild. I too can be some sort of grazing beast!
OK, I'm going to guess that this conversation morphed a whole bunch along the way. I just tuned in and read the last page and there is nary a reference to mushrooms at all. 
