Asparagus Signals Early Spring in the Midwest

By: Katherine Montalto | May 05 2010
Posted in Grow It - Chicago, IL

Spring has sprung in the Midwest, but it is still too cold to begin planting our vegetable gardens, unless of course you have an asparagus patch. April marked the beginning of asparagus season in the Midwest which runs until late June early July. Michigan is the second largest producer of asparagus in the country, California being the largest. To honor this illustrious designation, Michigan has two large asparagus festivals. The Empire Michigan Asparagus Festival May 14-16 and the National Asparagus Festival in Hart, Michigan June 11 - 13.

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Asparagus is a member of the lily family. It can take three to four years for an asparagus patch to create a strong enough fibrous root system to produce a crop, but once it does, look out! At the beginning of the season, asparagus can be harvested every four or five days, but by the warmer days of summer, asparagus can grow up to ten inches in a 24-hour period and will need to be harvested every day. Most healthy patches will continue to produce like this for up to 15 years.

Asparagus is a nutrient-dense food high in folic acid, potassium, fiber, vitamin B6, vitamins A and C, and thiamin. Some recent studies even suggest that it might help ease the pain of hangovers, and protect liver cells against alcohol's toxins by boosting levels of key enzymes that break down the alcohol.

Café Lula in Chicago is known for serving up seasonal foods, and asparagus is no exception. Cure your next hangover at brunch: order their strada with asparagus, trumpet mushrooms, melted leeks, spinach, and mozzarella.

My favorite way to eat asparagus is steamed and dipped into a soft boiled egg. What's your favorite asparagus dish and where's your favorite place to get it?

asparagus

blogger Katherine Montalto
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Katherine Montalto

to me, barb, editor

show details Apr 24 Kmontalto Asparagus.docx

Hello,

Here is my asparagus blog. I've attached a word file with links and I've pasted a text copy below. Please send along any questions, comments, or corrections. Send a link when its posted.

thanks,
Katherine Montalto

Celebrate Spring with Some Facts About Asparagus

Spring has sprung in the Midwest but it is still too cold to begin planting our vegetable gardens unless of course you have an asparagus patch. April marks the beginning of asparagus season in the Midwest which runs until late June early July. Michigan is the second largest producer of asparagus in the country, California being the largest. Michigan has two large asparagus festivals. The Empire Michigan Asparagus Festival May 14-16 and the National Asparagus Festival in Hart Michigan June 11 - 13.

Asparagus is a member of the lily family. It can take about three to four years for an asparagus patch to create a strong enough fibrous root system to produce a crop but once it does look out! At the beginning of the season asparagus can be harvested every four or five days but by the warmer days of summer asparagus can grow up to ten inches in a 24 hour period and will need to be harvested every day. Most healthy patches will continue to produce like this for up to 15 years.

Asparagus is a nutrient-dense food high in Folic Acid, potassium, fiber, vitamin B6, vitamins A and C, and thiamin. Some recent studies even suggest that it might help ease the pain of hangovers and protect liver cells against alcohol's toxins by boosting levels of key enzymes that break down the alcohol.

Café Lula in Chicago is known for serving up seasonal foods and asparagus is no exception. Cure your next hangover at brunch with their strada with asparagus, trumpet mushrooms, melted leeks, spinach, and mozzarella.

My favorite way to eat asparagus is steamed and dipped into a soft boiled egg. What's your favorite Asparagus dish and where's your favorite place to get it?

LINKS

http://www.empirechamber.com/pages.php?tabid=2&pageid=97&title=Empire+Asparagus+Festival

http://www.thinkdunes.com/asparagus-festival-51/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asparagus

http://www.lulacafe.com/lula/menupages.html

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show details Apr 28

Hi Katherine,

Thanks for the story. I don't have time right now to send links to everybody when their stories post, but 95% of the time, they're posted in the categories recommended by the writers. You can always check at the end of the week (since typically one story per day posts) and find them in the categories. Currently, your article on Feast is in the image rotater on the home page.

Joanna McDonald

The Local Dish Team
P.O. Box 1114
Medford, OR 97501

www.thelocaldish.com
Ph:541.941.8426
Fax: 866-458-2745

- Show quoted text -

On Sat, Apr 24, 2010 at 1:08 PM, Katherine Montalto <k.montalto@hotmail.com> wrote:

Hello,

Here is my asparagus blog. I've attached a word file with links and I've pasted a text copy below. Please send along any questions, comments, or corrections. Send a link when its posted.

thanks,
Katherine Montalto

Celebrate Spring with Some Facts About Asparagus

Spring has sprung in the Midwest but it is still too cold to begin planting our vegetable gardens unless of course you have an asparagus patch. April marks the beginning of asparagus season in the Midwest which runs until late June early July. Michigan is the second largest producer of asparagus in the country, California being the largest. Michigan has two large asparagus festivals. The Empire Michigan Asparagus Festival May 14-16 and the National Asparagus Festival in Hart Michigan June 11 - 13.

Asparagus is a member of the lily family. It can take about three to four years for an asparagus patch to create a strong enough fibrous root system to produce a crop but once it does look out! At the beginning of the season asparagus can be harvested every four or five days but by the warmer days of summer asparagus can grow up to ten inches in a 24 hour period and will need to be harvested every day. Most healthy patches will continue to produce like this for up to 15 years.

Asparagus is a nutrient-dense food high in Folic Acid, potassium, fiber, vitamin B6, vitamins A and C, and thiamin. Some recent studies even suggest that it might help ease the pain of hangovers and protect liver cells against alcohol's toxins by boosting levels of key enzymes that break down the alcohol.

Café Lula in Chicago is known for serving up seasonal foods and asparagus is no exception. Cure your next hangover at brunch with their strada with asparagus, trumpet mushrooms, melted leeks, spinach, and mozzarella.

My favorite way to eat asparagus is steamed and dipped into a soft boiled egg. What's your favorite Asparagus dish and where's your favorite place to get it?

LINKS

http://www.empirechamber.com/pages.php?tabid=2&pageid=97&title=Empire+Asparagus+Festival

http://www.thinkdunes.com/asparagus-festival-51/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asparagus

http://www.lulacafe.com/lula/menupages.html

The New Busy is not the old busy. Search, chat and e-mail from your inbox. Get started.

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