DATE: Sunday, April 27, 1997                TAG: 9704230051

SECTION: FLAVOR                  PAGE: F1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY MARY REID BARROW, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   64 lines

SLENDER GREEN STALKS ARE HERE AT LAST IT'S DIFFICULT TO FARM, BUT SOME FOLKS THINK ASPARAGUS IS THE BEST-TASTING VEGETABLE THERE IS

WHEN EDWARD L. MOORE SR. and his wife, Sheila Page, were looking for a home in Virginia Beach three years ago, they knew they were moving to the right place when they saw fresh asparagus for sale on Princess Anne Road.

``We felt like the Lord was giving us a sign!'' Page said.

And they have been buying asparagus in the spring from Munden Farm Produce ever since.

``It's a wonderful vegetable,'' Moore said, ``It's a rare farmer to grow something like that.''

Douglas Munden is a rare farmer, quite likely the only one in South Hampton Roads to grow asparagus commercially. He thinks the next closest grower is on the Eastern Shore.

Even though asparagus is a spring crop that comes in as early as Easter and expands the growing season for farmers, Munden said, he doesn't expect to get any competition. ``It's too much work,'' he said.

Asparagus spears grow like lonely sentinels with no foliage to support them, and each one must be cut by hand with a knife. The plant is also a little unpredictable. The spears grow according to temperature, very slowly below 65 degrees and very quickly at 75 degrees or above.

The up side is that once established, asparagus, unlike most vegetables, returns year after year. Munden planted one acre six years ago and began harvesting a small amount four years ago. Each year the plants have produced more spears. He hopes to harvest 2,000 pounds of the dark green and purple asparagus this year and about 4,000 pounds in a year or two when his plants are mature.

``And they are supposed to last 25 to 30 years,'' Munden said.

Although the season is short - until about the beginning of strawberry season - Douglas Munden's mother, Vera Munden, keeps asparagus year round by freezing it. She washes, drains and freezes the spears in air-tight bags with no blanching.

Vera Munden cooks her frozen or fresh asparagus sprinkled with a little butter and garlic salt in the microwave for about eight minutes.

On the other hand, customer Moore thinks frozen asparagus loses something. But she has discovered a trick for keeping the spears fresh for a long time.

``Put it in a bowl of fresh water and cover it with plastic wrap,'' she said. ``Refrigerate and change the water every day. It stays fresh for about 3 weeks.''

Often Moore's asparagus doesn't last that long. ``Sometimes,'' she said, ``we come home from the field and stir fry it right away.''

Moore also likes using asparagus as hors d'oeuvres. She blanches the spears for about three minutes and puts them in ice water to stop the cooking process. Then she chills the spears and serves them with dip.

Raymond Havens is another customer who loves Munden's asparagus. Havens, who used to pick wild asparagus ``down in the county,'' drives down to buy Munden's fresh-cut spears. Last week he purchased 10 pounds.

``I had about a pound and a half for myself last night,'' he said, laughing. ``Somebody wrote that asparagus is the `king of vegetables.' I think it's the best there is, too.'' MEMO: Munden Farm Produce, 1377 Princess Anne Road, Virginia Beach, is

open Monday through Saturday. Fresh asparagus is $1.50 a pound. Call

ahead with orders at 426-2747. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo

Asparagus

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