Asparagus season is here!

by Daphne Lambert

It appears it was the Romans who first started to cultivate asparagus more than 2000 years ago. It was so popular they dried it for winter use, it is also said that the Romans froze it by transporting it in chariots to the Alps. The earliest first century cookbook, De re coquinaria, was attributed to Apicius; a gastronome. It contains a recipe for cooking asparagus.

Asparagus is a prebiotic so provides food for the beneficial bacteria in the gut. After eating asparagus, some people report their urine gives off a strange odor. Once thought to be

a sign of defective metabolism we now know its actually harmless and produced from the asparagus sulphur compounds that your body did not absorb.

There are many recipes for asparagus and heres one of my favourite but I have to say I never tire of it lightly steamed with a little olive oil, salt and black pepper.

Quinoa with asparagus and spring herbs

Serves 2

100g quinoa

1 chilli

1 garlic clove

200g asparagus

6 spring onions

1 tbsp olive oil

A handful of chopped herbs – parsley, tarragon, chervil

salt and black pepper

1 lemon

Cook the quinoa with a pinch of salt.

Finely chop the garlic and chilli.

Prepare the asparagus and cut at an angle into fine slices.

Prepare the spring onions and slice in a similar fashion.

Gently cook the garlic and chilli in the olive oil with a little water for 1 minute, add the asparagus and spring onions and cook for a further 2 minutes. Tip in the quinoa, heat through, stir in the fresh herbs season with salt and pepper and finish with a little lemon zest and juice.