Asparagus

I am walking along an irrigation ditch, feeling the warm sun on my back and listening to...nothing. There is hardly any sound other than a few far off mockingbirds and the slight sound of a breeze in some trees. I am in the middle of acres of alfalfa as far as the eye can see. The only indication that I am not completely alone in the world is the small cloud of dust running along the far edge of the field, someone driving on the dirt road. It is a little piece of heaven for me.

As long as I can remember, my family would go out in the spring and pick asparagus that grows wild along the irrigation ditches in my hometown. I'm sure there were many reasons for this but the main one was, we were a large family and this was free food. Most of my prominent memories of childhood are of me and my sisters working together, pulling weeds, cleaning construction sites, chores around the house, and picking asparagus.

It's not necessarily a simple thing, there's an art to it. You have to spot the good pieces that can be hidden among the weeds. You don't want the ones that are too skinny, nothing smaller than a pencil, or gone to seed. You have to avoid the ones that have been curled by sprays, or fire. And you have to watch your feet. There could be holes or rocks to trip on. The ditch might have slippery sides that will suck you down as your reaching for the perfect piece that's just out of reach. Once you find the piece you can't just pull, you have to snap it off and make sure it's big enough that is was worth the effort. And it's hot. Very very hot.

There is just something about gathering your own food, providing something for your family through your efforts, that cannot be replaced. Plus, it tastes pretty darn good. I've had store bought asparagus (I caved one spring because I was craving and hadn't had a chance to get my own) and it just doesn't taste as good. There's something about the wild asparagus that just tastes better. Maybe it's related to my childhood memories, but I don't remember liking it then. Then it was work, and just another vegetable. Now, it's still a vegetable, but one that comes packed with memories and nostalgia.

Someday I hope to take my boys to pick asparagus. I'll teach them all my tricks and we'll have fun 'hunting and gathering' together. But for now, it's really nice to be alone. To know my kids are back at Grandma's and I get to bring home food I picked with my own two hands. So I walk and keep my eyes open and just enjoy the quiet.