Simple meal last night: Schnitzel, boiled taters, and Spargel (asparagus). Complex wine: a 2002 Reiterpfad (an
erstes Gewächs--premier cru--Riesling Spätlese trocken from Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl).


Spargel is grown locally. The season lasts from mid-April to 20 June. We buy from a farmer in our village; it's been picked within a few hours. Although green Spargel is available now too, and becoming more popular, the traditional Spargel is white. The stalks never see the sun until they are harvested. They're grown in mounds and picked by workers who march up and down the rows all day, looking for a sign that the spear is about to break through the soil.

When ready to harvest, a tool is inserted into the side of the mound.

The taste is milder than green asparagus.
Sarge