Country roadside memories of Spring

I remember as a girl walking with my grandma and my mother along the country roadsides picking a wild asparagus. I passed on this "pleasure of hunting for asparagus" to my children when they were young. Often my car would come to a quick stop along an orchard road, They thought I had xray eyes because I could spot it a long distance away. They often teased me as they grew older. My children were big vegetable eaters since we had 1/4 acre garden every year. I do believe it is one of the vegetables that they all liked and we would gather many brown grocery sacks of it on any given dayof an asparagus hunting adventure. Often they would be outside playing and come running in with fistfulls of the green spears from their grandfathers apple orchard . Just another historic yearly occassion for their "family memory banks". So quickly it would appear along with pussy willows, a sure sign of spring and just as quickly the season would be over.

Asparagus is a hardy perennial. It is the only common vegetable that grows wild along roadsides and railroad tracks over a large part of the country. Although establishing a good asparagus bed requires considerable work, your efforts will be rewarded. A well-planned bed can last from 20 to 30 years. For this reason, asparagus should be planted at the side or end of the garden, where it will not be disturbed by normal garden cultivation. Asparagus is one of the first vegetables ready to harvest in the spring.

Here is one of my favorite Asparagus Recipes

Preparation time: 10 minutes.
Ingredients
1 bunch of medium sized asparagus, about 1 lb
2 Tbsp of the most exquisite extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon lemon zest - freshly grated lemon rind
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1 Prepare the asparagus by rinsing them thoroughly, break off any tough, white bottoms and discard. Cut into 1 to 2 inch sections, slicing the asparagus at a slight diagonal.
2 Fill a medium sized saucepan half way with water, bring to a boil. Add the asparagus and reduce heat slightly to a simmer. Parboil the asparagus for exactly 2 minutes. Drain the hot water. While the asparagus are still hot, toss them in a bowl with the olive oil, Parmesan, and lemon rind. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or room temperature.

It is yummy and so easy to prepare.