Rhubarb and Asparagus ..

Dear Mr Postman .. thank you for dropping by again .. this is the time of year for spring delights, which my mother and I have always thoroughly enjoyed .. she was an excellent gardener and cook .. so we’d have forced rhubarb before leaving the plant to crop for later on; the early rhubarb would be followed by asparagus .. the season, which is short anyway – six weeks – stretches into early – mid June. I seem to remember the asparagus beds needing to be extended .. as we were rather partial to it! I thought I'd find out a little background to the crops, which my mother will find interesting and we can chat about rhubarb crumble, rhubarb fool .. and asparagus with oodles of melting butter ....

Rhubarb is one of the earliest fruits available .. the Victorians originally brought it over from Siberia so that fresh produce could be put on the table at a time when nothing else fresh was available. Rhubarb had however been around much longer – in ancient times it was revered for its mysterious cathartic powers, while the Romans, who bought the dried roots from the north Asiatic caravan traders supplied the apothecaries and herbalists with a root considered of value for various ailments.

Each winter - rhubarb flourishes in Yorkshire’s cold damp soils and is then tricked into triggering growth –being transferred by hand into long dark nursery sheds to be ‘forced’. The stalks grow at an accelerated rate in the light-free hothouses (originally heated by the coal from the new coal fields of the 1800s) – they are harvested by candlelight!! as the dim light will not spoil the conditions .. light and heat within the sheds.

The harvested stalks are tender, sweet, and a distinctive bright pink in colour with tiny curled yellow leaves that makes forced rhubarb instantly recognisable. Now-a-days –the Yorkshire triangle of Leeds, Bradford and Wakefield produce this champagne rhubarb, as it is known.

While it is also being promoted as a good accompaniment to high-fat meats, such as duck, and to oily fish .. – it is also a taste of today ... as its sharpness makes it an ideal companion as a savoury ingredient, people are developing a taste for the sharper flavoured fruits such as cranberries, blueberries and fresh pink rhubarb.

Asparagus has over the years had many elaborate growing instructions given out .. trenching, dressing with salt and seaweed .. not sure what we did 30 miles to the west of London! However we too followed the experts and made raised beds and made sure the earth was raised in mounds over the roots. We also gathered wild asparagus on our walks .. whenever we were lucky enough to come across a patch ... free food was a gift – even then.

Asparagus was appreciated by the Egyptians, Greeks and the Romans .. being used as a vegetable and medicine owing to its delicate flavour and diuretic properties.; it was eaten fresh in season and dried for use in winter. Apparently there’s a recipe for cooking asparagus in the oldest surviving book of recipes – Apicius’ 3rd century De re Coquinaria – book 3.

Asparagus is known today as not only tasting exceptionally good but is one of nature’s super foods ... helping fight cancer, heart disease as well as boosting your immune system .. and is really low in calories .. another secret benefit

Rhubarb festivals and Asparagus festivals abound in the English counties .. particularly in the Yorkshire triangle for the champagne rhubarb season.

Thank you for letting us have our letter - it's always so nice to see you .. we enjoy our memories together .. today it was about the early delights of the year .. I'm sure you too had rhubarb at home - did you have asparagus too?

Hilary Melton-Butcher

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