You’re in your kitchen or dining room. There are the wafts of mouth watering aromas, the clanging of pots and pans. Someone shouting for the salt, there’s music and laughter. The scene may seem like chaos, but is actually a well choreographed dance. Chopping and sautéing, tufts of flour in the air. The shifting of pans, the ignition of a stove flame.
Big bowls of hearty wholesome food. Beautiful succulent free range meats, fresh green organic salads. Pasta glistening with the generosity of love… and Olive oil. There is always olive oil and lots of it. Fresh artisan bread, broken apart and strewn across the table, crumbs and all. There is a mesh of hands and arms reaching and grabbing, sharing bowls and plates each filled with unique and delicious flavours.
There is the glugging and sloshing of wine, from bottle to glass and glass to mouth, some of which even adds to the tapestry of colours on what was once a pristine white table cloth. Salute and buon appetito.
One of the longest-standing organic growers for Ooooby, Sally and Huunter of Hunters Organic Farm tell us a little about what it means to them to be an organic farmer.
They have also recently started a new farm in Waikato, with rich, healthy soils and they are supplying Ooooby with amazing fresh produce.
“We have always had a passion for wholesome foods. So eating organic and growing organically is a natural progression of this.”
Nestled between the Hunua Ranges Regional Park and the Firth of Thames, beautiful Kaiaua is home to a subtropical orchard paradise. Having chosen to leave the city and live a life that is the thing of dreams for most of us, Gemma and Sione run Siema Organic Farm. Raising their children in touch with nature and producing some truly exceptional organic fruit. So what does it take to grow organically and make the switch from city life to running a farm? Read on to find out.
Why have you chosen to be a farmer and for how long have you been farming?
Looking at options to escape city life and move towards living in a more sustainable and holistic way of life, we then discovered Tikapa Moana at the market and it really aligned with what we were looking for.
We were familiar with Bill and Marilyn (the owners at the time) through the Grey Lynn market and Ooooby boxes. Having previously had very little experience of managing an orchard, we jumped at the opportunity to learn everything we could from Bill and Marilyn.
Over the 6 month hand over period our family spent every free weekend on the orchard with Bill and Marilyn who kindly shared their knowledge with us. It was a very special and unique situation for us all and we feel blessed to of had that ‘internship’ experience with them and we have now been on this land for almost three years.
Why organic / regenerative / biodynamic farming over conventional farming?
We have always had a passion for wholesome foods, so eating organic and growing organically is a natural progression of this. Applying permaculture principles to the work we do is how we farm in the orchard and we work with nature along the way.
We have also introduced some animals into the system, a flock of chickens and welsh harlequin ducks and more recently some lambs.
“I think freshness is the key, we pick to order and this really makes a difference.”
Little lambs on Siema Farm
Why do you grow the products you do and what is your favourite produce to grow?
Many of the trees that we currently harvest from are thanks to the previous kaitiaki of the land Bill Brownell. Lucky for us Bill ensured we produced fruit all year round from our subtropical orchard.
We have added in a few extras, like finger limes, lemonades, kefir lime, and expanded the banana grove. So we will be able to supply bananas in the future. Each season brings a new favourite for us and it is incredible watching the orchard shift and change. One moment we are picking an abundance of plums the next we have heaps of figs.
The seasons bring exciting creative opportunities for us. Any surplus gets captured and stored in some way, through dehydrating, pickling, preserving.
What are the biggest challenges you face?
With two children, an orchard, vegetable garden and the animals, we have the day to day challenge of finding enough hours of the day to get everything complete. Then there’s the bigger challenges of climate change and food security that are circling around the peripheries of our mind.
Siema farm with the family
What do you wish consumers knew and appreciated about the food you grow?
I think freshness is the key, we pick to order and this really makes a difference. The taste and nutritional value are at a peak and this, for us, is what food is about.
What effect has working with Ooooby had on you?
Working with Ooooby has been incredible for us. We feel aligned with Ooooby’s principles and core mission and that’s important.
When Ooooby first opened up in Auckland we were living in the suburbs and we were a customer of Ooooby. Gemma even did some packing and delivery a few times when they were operating from a container in Grey Lynn.
Knowing that we can work with Ooooby and get our produce out to customers. It is a blessing for a small operation like ours.
“We really enjoy being out in the orchard picking”
What is the strangest / toughest thing you have tried to grow?
We have a few unusual and strange fruits growing here. I think buddha hand is the most strange looking.
What is your favourite fruit / veg to eat?
It’s hard to say, We often find ourselves saying….”That is the best (fruit) I have ever tasted”
Do you have a funny story / anecdote from your time in the field?
We really enjoy being out in the orchard picking and I think every pick provides an opportunity for laughter. The most recent one that comes to mind is when we were picking casimiroa in the rain.
The long drought was beginning to break and the rain was so heavy. As a result, we were all soaking wet with massive smiles on our faces. The joy was incredible and all of us began dancing in the rain. Except for our woofer and dog, who tried unsuccessfully to hide under a tree. They did not look happy at all.
Persimmons from Siema Farm
Do you have any particular recipes or ideas for the best use of some of your products?
We have so many and so I will share with you the ones that we are enjoying right now with the produce we have available. Fuerte avocado, limes and grapefruit.
I like to simply juice the grapefruit and have it first thing in the morning. I am sure it helps to keep winter colds at bay.
If you enjoy tempeh I have a great recipe for you – Fried Tempeh with lime and tamari.
Olive oil for frying Juice of one lime 2 tsp tamari 1 block of tempeh.
Slice the tempeh into strips and fry in the oil on medium heat until golden on both sides. Whilst the tempeh is frying, juice the lime and mix with the tamari.
Once the tempeh is cooked and still in the hot frying pan (heat turned off), pour the lime tamari mixture over the tempeh. Leave to sizzle for a moment.
The tempeh is great on a salad or in a sandwich with Fuerte avocado and lettuce.
To find out more:
Do you want to see which of the delicious organic produce From Siema Organic Farm is currently available through Ooooby? Click here – Siema Organic Farm Produce
You can also see what Siema Organic Farm is up to by visiting their FaceBook page: Siema Organic Farm FaceBook
Visit https://www.ooooby.co.nz to get all your organic food needs delivered to your home and don’t forget that all this great produce can help keep you healthy.
Already a fan and want to help us spread the word while also standing the chance to win 1 year of FREE Ooooby produce. Read here to learn more: Ooooby Referral Competition.
“A lot of effort goes into improving and balancing the soil so that veggies can have what they need”
Originally supplying produce to Ooooby Christchurch, Raymond Garb is one of our long-standing growers. Now located just a hop, skip and jump from Pukekohe on a shared plot of land, Raymond grows farm fresh organic produce exclusively for Ooooby Auckland and we think he is just swell. Get to know Raymond a little better by reading on.
Why have you chosen to be a farmer and for how long have you been farming?
I have always been interested in caring for the environment and I read some fascinating stuff on organic farming as a teenager.
I then decided to find a way to practice it and I have been growing organically for over 20 years now – first working for other people and then for myself.
Why organic farming over conventional farming?
There are lots of reasons:
Being a better steward for a small patch of our shared planet earth; producing food that tastes delicious and does not contain chemical residues.
Plus, using organic methods is more interesting and challenging!
Why do you grow the products you do and what is your favourite produce to grow?
Currently, Silverbeet, Perpetual Spinach and Kale – They are the veggies that grow best for me in this particular patch. I like growing any veggies, but always want them to be able to be their best.
What are the biggest challenges you face?
There is no water to irrigate the veggies so growing quality organic veggies with no watering is an exciting challenge, but very dry summers are difficult.
There are also pesky pukekos and ravenous rabbits who love to munch on my organic veggie seedlings.
What do you wish consumers knew and appreciated about the food you grow?
I try to use old-fashioned heirloom varieties whenever possible – for their nutrition and flavour.
A lot of effort goes into improving and balancing the soil so that veggies can have what they need to be as delicious and nutritious as possible. Being certified organic is a level of quality assurance that these veggies have been produced to official standards and are the ‘real deal’.
“The hardest thing to grow is healthy, living soil”
What effect has working with Ooooby had on you?
They are so great to work with that now I only sell veggies to them. In times past I have supplied many different outlets.
The Ooooby team are excellent communicators, prompt at paying their growers and even have interesting personalities!
What is the strangest / toughest thing you have tried to grow?
There have been a few interesting ones: celeriac, kohlrabi, Florence fennel, Baby Bear pumpkins and dried lemon balm for herbal tea bags.
The hardest thing to grow is healthy, living soil where the veggies can thrive. But in the right soil, the veggies are happy and just do their thing.
Raymond’s Organic Romanesco Broccoli
“Being a better steward for a small patch of our shared planet earth”
What is your favourite fruit / veg to eat?
I like to eat a wide range of fruit and veggies and a lot of them! My favourite veggie is beetroot, oven roasted in oil with rosemary until crispy on the outside, soft on the inside.
Do you have a funny story / anecdote from your time in the field?
Some of the ‘Baby Bear’ pumpkins that I grew were very small – down to about the size of a mandarin.
I gave one to my little nephew, who loved and cherished it and even slept with it, tucked into his bed. One day I gave a larger version of this miniature pumpkin to his mother, who cooked it for dinner that night.
As they were eating she asked ‘So do you like the pumpkin?’
‘What pumpkin?’
‘This pumpkin we’re eating’.
He burst into tears ‘What! I can’t believe you could be so mean! How could you cook and eat a baby pumpkin!’
After that I gave them regular pumpkins for dinner. Nowadays, he proudly grows his own – but only the big ones.
Do you have any particular recipes or ideas for the best use of some of your products?
Silverbeet and perpetual spinach can be added to virtually anything cooked, as a source of green. I like to eat them both cooked with kelp flakes, seasoned with salt and pepper, with lashings of melted butter!
Silverbeet also makes an interesting edible wrap for an umu (Pacific island hangi), in place of taro leaves. Kale can be baked into crispy healthy chips, added to a stir-fry, or simply fried with cashew nuts. Rocket is a great salad ingredient. A little goes a long way in adding zing.
Raymond Garb has been growing for Ooooby for a number of years and is a brilliant farmer and is exactly what he states – he is a brilliant steward for the shared patch of planet earth.
To find out more:
Do you want to see which of the delicious organic produce from Raymond Garb is currently available through Ooooby?
Visit ooooby.co.nz to get all your organic food needs delivered to your home and don’t forget that all this great produce can help keep you healthy.
“I wanted to produce the most nutritious food for my own family.”
Choosing a life that does not fit the mold is not always easy, nor for everyone, but David Whyte from Zestos has forged his own path and is now producing some of the most delicious, nutrient rich citrus fruit available. Here is what David Whyte has to say about being an organic grower in New Zealand.
Why have you chosen to be a farmer and for how long have you been farming?
I fell into producing citrus by accident. We moved to Huntly from Hamilton, as we were in our early 30’s young kids, and couldn’t afford to buy in Hamilton. After a few years in a suburb that was ‘interesting’, we saw a lifestyle block that was very good value. We sold our house and bought it.
The bank in giving the loan, made us promise to cut down all the citrus trees, otherwise it would be a business loan not a home loan.
Fortunately, we only cut down enough to move a house and associated material onsite, we knew nothing about citrus, except for being lovers of trees in general.
Why organic / regenerative / biodynamic farming over conventional farming?
Biological farming instead of conventional. No brainer! I am a researcher by trade (physics then opto-electronics then biotech / biochemistry and now into fungi) and wanted to produce the most nutritious food for my own family. So why would you not do this for others as well?
“Ooooby has enabled a healthy lifestyle for the family”
Why do you grow the products you do and what is your favourite produce to grow?
As I mentioned before, we inherited the tangelo and orange trees with the land. So had no other option! I do love the Washington Navels and would never have a place without them.
What are the biggest challenges you face?
To be honest paperwork. We have just paid a significant chunk last year to be properly registered and inspected as dictated by central governments 2014 food bill.
Coming down the pipeline will be compulsory accreditation for organic farms. Which means we either have to limit our production so we don’t go over the cap of turnover, which triggers accreditation or become accredited.
The problem with accreditation is that it will not remove any ‘bad’ stuff – since we don’t apply anything bad, nor add any value, but will increase costs.
Furthermore, it will stop innovation. Previously we purchased some biodynamic preparations. Although these are obviously organic, they were not accredited so are difficult to use in a certified organic system.
“we want to produce food that produces life, health, and vitality.”
What do you wish consumers knew and appreciated about the food you grow?
Our produce has the full range of trace elements, which are often not found in citrus from elsewhere. We got rung up by the soil and leaf testing company when we ticked all the trace element testing boxes we did.
In horticultural applications, these trace elements are not required, but to us, it is important since we want to produce food that produces life, health, and vitality.
Although selenium, cobalt, and iodine are not required for plant growth, they are required for optimal human health. These elements were not in our soil, so we added them. Therefore when eating our crop you are getting a full range of trace elements that supports your body.
What effect has working with Ooooby had on you?
We have worked with Ooooby exclusively almost since inception and it has enabled a healthy lifestyle for the family, where we can maintain the work-life balance that is required for healthy living.
We used to attend farmer’s markets, however, my wife and kids were at work / school Monday to Friday. Then Saturday was spent picking, cleaning, packing the van. Up early Sunday and selling till lunchtime, arriving exhausted mid-afternoon back home. I was able to take Monday off, but the whanau were not. This wasn’t a healthy lifestyle and one that was very draining.
Ooooby has allowed me to do the picking during the week, then washing (and grading out substandard ones if required) as a family on a weekday evening. Then I deliver the product to Ooooby.
Whyte family sorting produce
“kind of like a bit of summer snuck into winter.”
What is the strangest / toughest thing you have tried to grow?
I really want to successfully grow are subtropical fruits, which is a challenge in the North Waikato were -2C frosts occur once or twice over winter. We are having some success with our first casimiroa (tastes like ice cream) fruiting this year. In time I would love to get Ice Cream Beans growing and fruiting at our place. We will see!
What is your favourite fruit / veg to eat?
My favourite fruit is tree-ripened granny smiths. Leave them on the tree till at least late June, when they start to change color to get a yellow blush and taste sweet and juicy They are divine. With no summer fruits left, these apples are kind of like a bit of summer snuck into winter. I remember eating them as a kid like this, so no doubt some nostalgia in there too.
Do you have a funny story / anecdote from your time in the field?
Tangelo wine doesn’t mature well! One year at the very end of the tangelo season I juiced a couple of litres of tangelo juice. Added yeast and wine nutrient and fermented it out. Once clarified I bottled up and put away for a month or two.
Typically a wine tastes quite harsh until 6 months of age, then slowly improves for some time after this. After about 3 months, my brother and I were doing some homebrew tastings and decided to see how the tangelo wine was going. It tasted pretty good, it had low body which the next batch could be corrected with tannins, but had good color, reasonable taste, so given it was still very young I was very pleased with myself.
I put it away again and pulled out 6+ months later expecting to have a pleasant wine. It was very unpleasantly bitter, so much so it got put down the drain. I was so gutted, and peeved that my hard work had come to nothing and that it got worse with age instead of better! So very unexpected.
Do you have any particular recipes or ideas for the best use of some of your products?
My mother in law makes a wicked dessert that uses candied tangelo peel sprinkled on top of tangelo ice cream. I have no idea about the recipe but it is delicious.
To find out more:
Do you want to see which of the delicious organic produce From David Whyte is currently available through Ooooby? Click here – David Whyte Produce
You can pop on over to David Whytes YouTube channel to learn more about what they are doing on the farm: David Whyte YouTube
Visit https://www.ooooby.co.nz to get all your organic food needs delivered to your home and don’t forget that all this great produce can help keep you healthy. Read here to learn more about boosting your immunity.
“We want everything to thrive – the soil, biodiversity, people working on the land and those who consume our produce.”
Situated in the gorgeous Kauaeranga Valley in Thames, you will find the Ohaene Organics farm. Peter Poschl and his family have been growing beautiful produce on this land since the late 1990’s. We had a chat with Peter to learn more about farming organically in New Zealand.
Why have you chosen to be a farmer and for how long have you been farming?
We bought our land in summer 1996 because we always wanted to grow food. We started planting fruit trees in the following winter. In 2000 we moved onto the land and did some small scale growing of globe artichokes. We seriously started market gardening about 8 years ago specialising in potatoes and Maori potatoes.
Why organic / regenerative / biodynamic farming over conventional farming?
Angelika’s parents back in Germany saw no alternative to gardening the organic way. They saw what damage chemical based agriculture did to land, people and the quality of food. There was never a question for us to do it differently. And we believe it is now more important than ever.
“we have a holistic approach”
Why do you grow the products you do and what is your favourite produce to grow?
We grow what we like to eat ourselves. We know how fruit and veggies should taste. “Favourite produce” – I don’t know. Potatoes perhaps – the act of digging out beautiful tubers is something very satisfying. Fruit probably Belle de Boskoop apples, an old variety from Central Europe and THE apple to make apple strudel
What are the biggest challenges you face?
There are some. The last years had prolonged periods without rainfall (as we all know). We are very lucky to have a reliable water source but still – nothing beats a good summer rainfall … The other is probably increased bureaucracy. Compliance with the Food Act 2014 is paperwork-intensive and costly (at times throwing up the question of viability)
“There was never a question for us to do it differently.”
What do you wish consumers knew and appreciated about the food you grow?
That we have a holistic approach. We want everything to thrive – the soil, biodiversity, people working on the land and those who consume our produce.
What effect has working with Ooooby had on you?
We love the idea behind Out Of Our Own Backyards. We are glad we can contribute to it and are happy to accommodate our harvesting schedule to Ooooby’s needs as far as possible.
What is the strangest / toughest thing you have tried to grow?
Carrots – we never had any luck with them but we won’t give up.
What is your favourite fruit / veg to eat?
Beans, chillies, tomatoes, cucumbers – there is nothing better than the vegetable or the fruit picked when it is just right.
Do you have a funny story / anecdote from your time in the field?
Well, it might be funny for other people – you plant several 100s of leeks only to come back in the morning to discover that half of them have been pulled out again with the culprits not far away: pukekos. So you plant them again and shoo the birds away. You go back in for your morning tea and when you come back to see some pukekos running away and lots of leeks pulled out again. Fish and Game, help me!
Do you have any particular recipes or ideas for the best use of some of your products?
Yes, too many to list or prioritise. You can get excited about a simple bean dish, a fresh cucumber salad, patate alla borghese (boiled potatoes, reheated in butter, lemon juice and parsley) and of course apple strudel (real paper thin strudel dough, filling of Boskoop apples with raisins, walnuts, cinnamon and a little sugar, rolled up and once done served with whipped cream).
“there is nothing better than the vegetable or the fruit picked when it is just right.”
To find out more:
If you would like to see which of the delicious Ohaene Organics produce from Peter Poschl are currently available through Ooooby, click here – Ohaene Organics
Visit https://www.ooooby.co.nz to get all your organic food needs delivered to your home and don’t forget that all this great produce can be made into delicious meals. Read here to learn more about falling in love with soup.
At Ooooby we are so fortunate that we get to partner and work with amazing farmers, local growers, and artisans. People that grow and crete the most incredible produce and products, such as the team from Southern Belle Orchard.
Merely a stone’s throw from the quaint town of Matamata, nestled in the shadow of the Kaimai Mountain range and only a short distance from the Waikato Plains. This is where you will find the Southern Belle Orchard. A beautiful oasis cared for and nurtured by the De Jong family and so now let’s get to know them a little better.
“It’s great to grow such a kiwi favourite!”
Why have you chosen to be a farmer and for how long have you been farming?
I used to work in a not-for-profit in Auckland in an office (which was fulfilling apart from being in an office chair all day), and my partner was working for the council in the CBD.
Then an opportunity came up to join my partner’s parents’ business in Matamata. We jumped at the opportunity to get out of the city and switch to a totally different lifestyle – that was 7 years ago, but the family has owned the orchard since 2003.
Why organic / regenerative / biodynamic farming over conventional farming?
It was already very important to my in-laws to grow produce in a natural, healthy way and this was in line with our beliefs as well. We just see it as the best and most logical grower method and it’s as simple as that for us. Why use chemicals when you can harness nature?
“We truly care deeply about the quality of what we grow.”
Why do you grow the products you do and what is your favourite produce to grow?
We grow feijoas outside in our orchard. Apart from being a massive feijoa lover myself, we find feijoas a very easy crop to manage in terms of low pest and disease pressure. It’s great to grow such a kiwi favourite! Do I need to say what my favourite produce to grow is? How could it not be feijoas!
We also grow capsicums and chillies in our greenhouses. This is a highly specialised crop and it’s certainly not easy to grow them. But we really enjoy growing such a high quality and tasty product and we have a lot of high-tech experience we can apply to keep improving all the time.
“Growing food is a really challenging, difficult and expensive business.”
What are the biggest challenges you face?
Feijoas: Trying to get the best out of our trees when the industry is too small to be able to fund research. Anything new we try (and we’re always doing that) can take 1-2 years to see the effect, and we still can’t be sure if it was another factor such as the weather at play.
Capsicums/Chillies: Managing pests! Growing naturally means you have to be preventative so constant monitoring is necessary – you need to apply the beneficial insects (to predate the bad ones) early before the problem gets out of control.
Overall: Increasing costs, such as wages, compliance, transport; but no such increasing grower returns! Trying to receive the premium we deserve for our high quality, naturally grown produce.
What do you wish consumers knew and appreciated about the food you grow?
Growing food is a really challenging, difficult and expensive business. We truly care deeply about the quality of what we grow.
What effect has working with Ooooby had on you?
It’s wonderful working with people who care just as much as us about good, natural fresh food.
“The awesome thing about capsicums is their versatility!”
What is the strangest / toughest thing you have tried to grow?
We tried beans once in our greenhouse over winter and it was an absolute disaster, every single baby bean had the little flower piece stick to it and rot 🙁
What is your favourite fruit / veg to eat?
Why feijoas of course!
Do you have a funny story / anecdote from your time in the field?
Often after pruning feijoa trees, when I undress I have all sorts of sticks and leaves fall out from my clothes. The other day I found a tiny spider had made a home under my shirt! (How did I not notice it earlier in the day??)
Do you have any particular recipes or ideas for the best use of some of your products?
The awesome thing about capsicums is their versatility! You can basically add them into any dish you’re making. We love roasting them in winter and putting them on the BBQ in summer.
To find out more:
If you would like to see which of the gorgeous Southern Belle Orchard organic produce is currently available through Ooooby, click here – Southern Belle Produce
Visit ooooby.co.nz to get all your organic food needs delivered to your home and don’t forget that all this great produce can help keep you healthy. Read here to learn more about boosting your immunity.
We would like to say a MASSIVE thank you for the support and patience you showed us during the craziness of lockdown. We REALLY APPRECIATE IT and we’re honoured to have been able to play our part in bringing you healthy local food. Hopefully contributing to keeping you healthy and happy at home with your bubbles.
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To get through the past few months we really had to ramp things up. It wasn’t easy operating under lockdown restrictions. Things are now “returning to normal” and we don’t want to have downsize or lose anyone from our awesome hard working team.
We need nothing more from you than your kind words. Please tell people about us. If you like what we do and find value in our products, service, ethos and vision of helping to grow a resilient local food model, that supports organic small scale farmers and artisans, then please tell people. Point them in our direction, give them a nudge and get them to become part of the Ooooby family.
Legend has it that the Egyptians offered it up to their gods. The Romans used their fastest runners and chariots to transport it to the Alps for freezing, to store for special festivals. The Romans even had a saying, to do something “faster than you can cook asparagus”, suggesting they knew exactly how to cook this delicacy.
Although it has been harvested for thousands of years, and worshipped by ancient cultures, little is known about the asparagus plant, other than the fact that it makes certain bodily fluids a little, well, smelly. Nevertheless, we think it’s a vegetable worth getting to know. Here’s an introduction to the (not so) humble asparagus…
The asparagus is a perennial plant. This means it lives for more than two years, and takes a nap every year in the cooler months. In fact, it loves the cold, the frostier the better.
To grow asparagus, you plant the roots, called crowns (pretentious, much?) when the weather starts to warm. Once planted, don’t rush it, it needs 2-3 years before it’s ready to harvest. By then, it’s decided whether or not it likes you, and will continue to produce for the next 20-30 years.
The thickness of the stem tells us how old the plant is. In the first few years, asparagus stems are small, about the diameter of a pencil lead, and overtime, they grow to be thicker, about 1-2 centimetres in diameter.
Asparagus is quite a selfish plant, it doesn’t like sharing it’s space with any other plants or weeds, and so it’s important to plant it on it’s own, and to keep the area weed-free, so as not to upset your darling asparagus.
These days, asparagus is grown all over the world, and, interestingly, China is the biggest producer of asparagus. Asparagus is harvested in spring and early summer. In the Northern hemisphere, annual festivals, such as Asparafest (not a joke), celebrate the asparagus season and the start of spring, and you can enter the asparagus eating competition, in the hope of being named King or Queen of Asparagus. It’s aspara-tastic (again, not a joke).
Asparagus is harvested as young shoots or spears, cut soon after poking their heads above ground. Towards the end of the harvesting season, the spears are left to grow naturally, and they grow into small leafy ferns, about 1.5m high. This is important, as the older plants feed the root (or crown) for next year’s harvest. In Autumn, they grow bright red berries, that are, in fact, poisonous to humans. The fern then dies down during the cooler months, and starts all over again when it warms up.
So there you have it, the asparagus plant in a nutshell, from its colourful history as a royal vegetable to a modern-day chinese export. Hopefully knowing a little more about this veggie inspires you to cook it, well, “faster than you can cook asparagus”!
