recipe: lettuce & asparagus w/ asparagus sauce

We're just at the end of traditional British asparagus season. It's incredibly short, lasting for just 6 to 8 weeks. It officially runs from St George's Day (23rd April) until the Summer Solstice (21st June)

Harvesting must stop by the solstice to allow the plants to grow tall, ferny stems and store enough energy in their underground roots for the following spring . . .

lettuce & asparagus w asparagus sauce

lettuce dressed w/ asparagus sauce topped w/ sautéed asparagus

IngredientsMakes: 360g (2)

150g		asparagus sauce	(recipe below)
20g		butter
160g		asparagus
1g		salt
80g		lettuce

Method

I started with a 250g pack of asparagus.

Remove the tough end bits by holding the last cm of the stalk and snapping off the head.

It will snap at a soft section near the bottom leaving you w/ a tender half & a potentially stringy bit!

Keep the tender bit for this and use the bottoms for the sauce.

Make the sauce first.

In a mixing bowl toss the lettuce in half of the sauce, place it in a warm serving dish & season it.

Sauté the asparagus in butter.

Lay over the dressed lettuce and pour the remaining sauce over the top.

Serve asap. . .

asparagus sauce

rich buttery asparagus sauce w/ notes of roquefort

IngredientsMakes: 150g

90g		asparagus ends
5g		lovage stock cube	(recipe below)
150g		boiling water
15g		roquefort
25g		butter

Method

Use the tough ends snapped from the asparagus spears.

Place them in a really small saucepan, top w/ half a lovage stock cube, and pour on just enough boiling water to cover the asparagus ends.

Boil them for 7mins, then pour the stock out into a blender beaker, and cover the remaining asparagus w/ ice cold water to stop them cooking.

Once they've cooled but are still slightly warm return them to the stock in the beaker w/ a chunk of blue cheese and stick blend.

Pass through a sieve back into the small sauce pan to get rid of any fibrous bits.

Adjust the seasoning, then add a knob of butter and give it a final stick blend.

Use as required.

One of me mums experiments: Asparagus is the tricky to see one in the circular pot! First season.

Growing your own see RHS

If you are in Hereford check out Growing Local on facebook/meta they currently have all sorts of seasonal veg available grown right here in Hereford using organic practices!
Sign up for veg box here / or for wholesale here.