May 23th is Asparagus Day in England (24th in America). I choose to honor Asparagus today. Asparagus is a wonderful vegetable, that I find tasty. I have had it in Germany (the leading consumer country of asparagus) various times, including white asparagus. I also have a friend that has a patch of asparaus over twenty years old, that we would harvest from almost daily for about a month. It is said that asparagus can grow up to seven inches a day.
My first book was printed by farming publisher Orange Judd, “Asparagus, Its Culture for Home Use and for Market”, by F.M. Hexamer, 1905. This book will tell you anything and everything about how to plant, grow, harvest, market, and preserve asparagus, along with its history. Asparagus “was known and highly prized by the Romans…According to Pliny, those grown near Ravenna being considered best.” The way the Romans cooked asparagus was put them in hot water and cook for only a few minutes, “owing one of Emperor Augustus’s favorite sayings : “Citius quam asparagi conquentur” (Do it quicker than you can cook asaragus). “
I showed this book to my friend with the garden, and he saw an aspargus harvesting knife, that looked rather like a dandelion picker, and he liked it so much, he fabricated his own knife. For years, he was just using a regular knife to cut the stalks off just below the surface. He liked making an official cutter based on a hundred and twenty year old book.
A few other Asparagus books I own are “Stalking the Wild Asparagus” by Euell Gibbons, 1962, a book on gathering wild foods; and “Asparagus, a 3-1 Medical Reference:Medical Dictionary, Bibliography & Annotated Research Guide” by James Parker, 2003. It is in my book bibliography section, and also has good information about the effect asparagus has on urine.
Another green item to eat would be turtle soup (or not), especially with today, May 23rd being World Turtle Day. Not too many have eaten turtle soup or stew, with the dull green color, yet porky taste, sometimes chickeny and little fishy. Different turtles, and different parts of the turtle have distinct tastes. I don’t think many restaurants make these turtle dishes, but I have had them homemade.
As we have slowly made our way to turtles, I wish to announce “Are you a Turtle?” If so, you have a definite answer to give back to me. Famously, astronaut Wally Schirra was asked in space during several missions, by ground control, “If he was a turtle?” Each time he flipped his speaker to record and stated “YBYSAIA”.
I have the “Turtle Club Handbook, Are You a Turtle?” by James Hatcher, 2014. He gives the history of ‘The Ancient and Honorable Order of Turtles’ begun by Captain Hugh P. McGowan U.S. Army Air Corps/U.S. Air Force Reserve (Ret.), and several other pilots stationed in England During WWII.
I became a Turtle back in high school. I have answered proudly many a time, and have quietly bought a drink at the bar several other times. I will gladly show you the Grand Hailing Sign when we meet (for a friend in need).
Bloop! Bloop!
Librarytomes 