Walkers Farm Stand… asparagus at its best.

Two years ago, we planted asparagus roots in our backyard garden.  Last year, when the slender green shoots starting slinking out of the ground, we were forbidden from harvesting them to give the roots sufficient time to build up energy reserves (okay, so maybe I picked a few…).  This year, enough time had passed to cut the asparagus spears from the ground when they emerged.  Early in April, one or two began to poke out of the soil and I knew that the time was near for fresh asparagus.

There are only a few plants in our garden, enough for a side dish of one meal at a time, but I love fresh asparagus and I knew our little harvest would not be enough for me.  Ever since my asparagus began rising out of the garden, I’d been eyeballing the tight bundles at the grocery store or produce market to see if they were from Jersey.  Sadly, they were from Peru or Mexico, and I knew that it would be cheating to buy those foreigners so close to the Jersey asparagus season.  I mean, when we’re so close to the harvest here, why spoil it by eating imported asparagus… Sure it would be ‘good’, but ‘good’ pales in comparison to the tender, crisp, incredibly flavorful spears of local, in-season asparagus.

Finally, my mother-in-law called Walkers, the local supplier of asparagus and they informed us when the spears would be ready at their farm stand.  On the very day last week when they said the asparagus would be ready, she showed up at the bakery with a medium sized brown paper bag filled with several handfuls of the green spears!  The time had come at long last!  This is why I love spring, the longing is over… the weeks and months of eating shipped produce quickly comes to an end!

The following Monday, Jill and I made our way up Route 40 just past Malaga and turned left onto Porchtown Road.  Just up the road on the right hand side was Walkers Farm Stand.  We pulled into the dusty parking lot, and made our way inside.  There, at a small round table in the front, were several tubs of asparagus.  One of the grey tubs had pre-bundled spears, but the other two were stacked with loose asparagus that was thirty cents cheaper per pound.  Jill loaded up a bag with several pounds of the slender green spears, and we were ready to check out.

I started up a conversation with Troy.  He was very nice and helpful, and I asked if he eats a lot of asparagus… naturally, he does this time of year!  His favorite preperation is to grill the asparagus, which happens to be my preferred way of cooking asparagus as well.

At about this time, Jeff, the market manager showed up and I had the opportunity to talk to him for a while.  He was a very nice gentleman, and we talked about the farm; how big it is (300 acres with 30 devoted to asparagus), how long the farm has been around (since the 1840’s with 30 years of asparagus production and five generations of Walker’s working the Earth), and his favorite way to prepare asparagus (steamed in the microwave or raw right out of the ground).  I have to say that I do this as well in my garden… there is nothing like eating asparagus right out of the ground with nothing on it.  It was obvious to me that this family loves farming and loves good food, they’re clearly experts at the craft of growing fresh produce.

Jeff also told me about where one can buy Walker’s asparagus in and around Vineland, including at Malench, Weavers, Levari farm stands.  The cool thing about buying it right at the farm stand is that the asparagus that you buy there was picked that very day. Any leftovers they have from the market go to the produce auction and then onto the wide world of asparagus eaters.  Like a lot of produce, the minute that it’s picked, it begins to deteriorate in flavor and texture.  So definitely plan on stopping by the farm stand at 105 Porchtown Road in Pittsgrove. Or at least check out the website at < http://www.walkersfarmmarket.com/>

So Jill and I took that bag home, and consumed the entire contents within a few days.  I made sautéed asparagus with pea shoots and green garlic (all from my garden) when we got home that night.  The asparagus was so tender and delicious!  That week, we also ate asparagus and peas over pasta, grilled asparagus, asparagus soup…

Before I left Walkers, I grabbed a recipe sheet they had available.  There was salad of cold asparagus and vinegarette that I’m looking at now that looks really tasty… perhaps when I go back for more this weekend, I’ll have to try that one out.  Who knows, it may become my new favorite way to eat this tasty spring veggie!