THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 28, 1996 TAG: 9604260191
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: COASTAL JOURNAL
SOURCE: MARY REID BARROW
LENGTH: Medium: 92 lines
Some of us are old enough to remember the first time we ate fresh asparagus from the grocery and how tasty it was compared to the canned asparagus of our youth.
The difference was like the difference between canned tuna and fresh, another taste-bud opening experience that many of us had some years back.
Now, you have to experience Douglas Munden's asparagus, grown right here in the good earth of old Princess Anne County. Like the home garden asparagus that some lucky folks have, Munden's asparagus lifts the taste sensation of the green spears to yet another level.
Tender and mild, Munden's asparagus are so luscious, like fresh-from-the-field sweet corn, you could eat them raw. He cuts them with a knife each morning and stores them in a refrigerator until the likes of you or I head down Princess Anne Road to buy a pound or two.
Some say if you could cook asparagus right there in the field, that also like sweet corn, it would even be better. But I can wait for dinner.
Munden's field is back off Princess Anne in front of a patch of woods adjacent to his wheat field. Asparagus grows in a lonely looking odd manner unlike the closely spaced, spring-green shoots of wheat nearby.
Individual spears emerge from the soil, all alone, supported by no foliage. Within a day or two, depending on the temperature, the spears, poking up out of the earth like a single sentry on duty, are mature enough to pick.
If the spear is not picked, it goes to seed and turns into a tall, graceful fern. At the end of the season, Munden lets all his asparagus go to seed and the ferny plants build up nutrients for next year's crop.
Unlike most vegetables, asparagus, once established, returns year after year. Munden's acre patch is 5 years old and this is the third year he has cut and sold them.
He cut just a little in 1994, a little more last year. This year, he hopes to cut between 1,200 and 1,500 pounds. In a couple of years, when the field is mature, he hopes to get 3,000 or 4,000 pounds of asparagus a season. ``And they should keep coming back for 15 years,'' Munden said.
Munden came up with asparagus as a crop when he was looking for a new vegetable to plant, something that no one else was growing. He thinks his acre is the only commercial asparagus patch in Virginia Beach. He knows of one farmer on the Eastern Shore who grows it, too.
Asparagus, an early crop, is usually ready for Easter and should continue producing into strawberry season. If all goes well for Munden, within the week, his pick-your-own strawberry customers can also buy a pound or two of asparagus.
The peak of asparagus season is upon us, however, so if you want some to freeze, now is the time to buy. Munden's mother, Vera Munden, who lives nearby, said freezing asparagus is a simple matter. Just wash and drain it and freeze it in air-tight baggies. There's no need to blanche the spears, she said.
Vera Munden cooks asparagus simply by steaming them. She uses a fork to test for tenderness. ``We like them a little crunchy,'' she said. She seasons with garlic salt, butter and maybe a little lemon juice.
Whether you want several pounds for freezing or a pound or two for dinner, call Munden before you head down into the county. Since asparagus grows in such an unpredictable way, it's best to order ahead for freezing and there also may be some days when Munden just doesn't have enough asparagus to open. He is always closed on Sundays.
The asparagus sells for $1.50 a pound. The number to call is 426-2747. The address 1377 Princess Anne Road.
P.S. Al Balko, who lives on Inlynnview Road, said his purple martins are back and setting up house.
GLOSSY IBIS are feasting on little critters that have surfaced on athletic fields at Lake Taylor High School after all the rain last week, according to assistant chorale director B.J. Atkinson. Occasional visitors here, ibises are iridescent with striking, long curved bills. Keep your eye out as they will probably roam around looking for food before flying south again.
RIVER OTTERS are the topic of programs for children, 3 to 5, at 2 and 3:45 p.m. Wednesday at the Virginia Marine Science Museum. The fee is $5 for members and $7 for nonmembers. Call 437-6003.
PROTECTING HISTORY AND HABITAT is the theme of an exhibit on the work of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on display through May 17 at Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge on Knotts Island. To find out more call 429-3100. MEMO: What unusual nature have you seen this week? And what do you know about
Tidewater traditions and lore? Call me on INFOLINE, 640-5555. Enter
category 2290. Or, send a computer message to my Internet address:
mbarrow(AT)infi.net. ILLUSTRATION: Photos by MARY REID BARROW
Tender and mild, Douglas Munden's asparagus are so luscious you
could eat them raw. He cuts them with a knife each morning and
stores them in a refrigerator until the likes of you or I head down
Princess Anne Road to buy a pound or two.
by CNB