Jun
5
2010

Order Tara's Bicycle Touring Cookbook Today!

Spargel!

by Tara

This morning we packed up from our free-camp, commuted into town along smooth, shaded bike paths, and headed straight to McDonald's for work and lots of ice cream sundaes. When we're done, we'll scope out a promising Chinese restaurant for dinner and then head back to our free-camp. It's a great system.

While I'm so busy doing nothing, I wanted to write about… spargel. Here in Frankonia, this small region of Bavaria, asparagus is in season!

There are fields of it everywhere: long ditches and mounds planted with the stuff. The asparagus grows in darkness, and when the top reaches the surface, the whole thing gets yanked out and lopped off. Apparently seasonal workers come for the harvest, and I'm sure its a muddy (when raining), back-aching affair.

Spargel Field

Many, many restaurants feature this seasonal delicacy. Spargel, spargel, everywhere!

Spargelzeit! frischer frankischer Spargel Frischer Frankischer Spargel Frankischer Spargel

The other day, we bought some spargel of our own from a roadside stand. Asparagus sounds so much better in German. Spargel, spargel, spargel.

Spargel Stand (Asparagus) Spargel (Asparagus)

A few nights ago, I cooked the spears and served them with homemade Hollandaise sauce. It looks gross in the photo, but it was delicious. I also got an enormous amount of pleasure making the sauce with my camping kit, considering I was supposed to have a stainless steel bowl, whisk, double boiler, and a few other fancy things. With a little creativity, our collapsible silicon bowl, and a titanium spork, it turned out just as it was supposed to.

Camp-Made Hollandaise Sauce & Asparagus

Yum!

I love spargel. So much so that I was one for Halloween a few years back. Who can make an impromptu asparagus costume in under a half an hour with zero budget? I can. I have so many marketable skills.


Previous Entry
-
Next Entry
-
G
Topics:

6 comments

Tara you are freakin hilarious! I am so glad you are a part of our family! Happy travels, can't wait til you guys get home!
Posted by Amanda on June 8th, 2010 at 9:52 AM
Organic, no less!
Posted by Mary Niedenfuer on June 8th, 2010 at 1:33 PM
Ah! One of my favorite pictures of Tara-ness and among my favorites of your creative ventures. Love you, Julia H.
Posted by Julia on June 8th, 2010 at 2:25 PM
I remember seeing all those spargel specials -- even entire spargel menus -- at restaurants when my infant daughter and I visited my husband while he was stationed in Germany in 2002! I prefer our thin green asparagus at home but glad you're enjoying the other.

Thanks for sharing all your adventures. I'm hoping that a book will follow eventually! :)

A friend in Champaign,
Sheila
Posted by Anonymous on June 8th, 2010 at 8:07 PM
great writing as usual and great pics!! keep on truckin' roll again! love you
Posted by lian on June 9th, 2010 at 12:44 AM
Amanda - You totally made my week with that comment, so thank you.

Mary - But of course!

Julia - Oh Julia, I miss you. Love to you, too!

Sheila - Yes! Entire spargel menus! It is everywhere, I swear. Don't worry, eventually there will be a book. Eventually. :-)

Lian - Thanks reg! I love you too!
Posted by Tara on June 11th, 2010 at 1:53 PM