"Come, friendly bombs, and fall on Slough!
It isn't fit for humans now,
There isn't grass to graze a cow."
Sir John Betjeman
Apologies to anyone living in Slough, but this rather unfair poem of Betjeman's came into my head as I was surveying our back garden in the village and feeling smug. I was also contemplating how wonderful it would be if humans could graze. Sometimes just looking at a lush rural scene isn't enough and I want to get in there and munch.
As I was pondering why being "put out to grass" is a negative phrase in the English language, a neighbour arrived and, as her livestock chomped their way through the vegetation (ignoring the flowers), she gave me a quick lesson in collecting wild asparagus.
I can usually find 6 or 7 stalks but never enough for a meal, but she let me into the secret - tilkişen hides in the midst of prickly plants, so always look for the spiky bush first and then focus in on the thin stalks of asparagus.
Tilkişen is usually fried in oil and/or butter with an egg scrambled in at the last minute but I posted a slightly more sophisticated recipe here.
My daughter and her partner went in search and between them, (being generous to Esi here - Celal found all of it) came up with a good haul.
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Betjeman was completely right about Slough. I was brought up in Maidenhead, only a few miles away, and Slough was like a different world. Dismal, heartless place.
ReplyDeleteI've not actually tried wild asparagus. Does it taste anything like "tame" asparagus? :-)
It tastes a bit like domestic asparagus but has more "bite" to it
Deletethe asparagus sounds lovely...I haven't had fresh asparagus since I was a child. a little teeny package at the grocery costs an arm and a leg so I rarely buy it. and what a fantastic place you have!
ReplyDeleteWe are lucky to enjoy such a lovely setting.
DeleteHello:
ReplyDeleteHow very idyllic all of this looks.
Slough, apart from the Betjeman poem, remains in our minds as the town where the late HRH The Princess Margaret Rose, Countess of Snowdon, was cremated. A strange choice, we thought, but near of course to Windsor.
Strange that she was cremated - aren't the Royal family usually buried?
DeleteDear Annie, so much beauty in those fields. And the idea of munching on beauty is a beguiling one. Also, there's the beauty of friendship. Of a friend sharing an asparagus secret with you. Peace.
ReplyDeleteIt's taken me over 20 years to learn the secret - I've missed a lot of free asparagus.
DeleteIsn't it wonderful that the livestock leaves the flowers for us to enjoy! I'm longing for a bit of spring here in the garden, but it only made it to about 12C today with a bit of watery sunshine. Love your asparagus recipe!
ReplyDeleteHope you get some Spring like weather soon Idske.
DeleteI'm not sure whether the wild asparagus I picked in France was wild wild or cultivated escapes - but there was plenty of it once you knew where to look and absolutely delicious.
ReplyDeleteWe had our own asparagus beds - but the wildings were earlier and so very welcome.
I had access to an asparagus bed when I lived in the UK - nothing better than steamed fresh stalks with melted butter.
DeleteAnnie, Asparagus is one of our favorite spring dishes, but have only seen it in the U.S. I guess the wild variety never makes it to our Istanbul markets - too labor intensive, I suppose. It's wonderful to anticipate and eat such things in the proper season. The recipe sounds great. And the photos were wonderful. I loved the cow among the flowers.
ReplyDeleteYou can buy cultivated asparagus in the supermarkets.
DeleteJ bought a bunch at the local market, so we enjoyed a good 'scoff' yesterday evening. Lovely to see your anemones.
ReplyDeleteAnemones are nearly finished but they did start a month early this year.
DeleteWe have a slough in my area back home, but there's a dingy, but delicious burger joint. I am so jealous of your neighborhood! Wild asparagus! I need to leave the city more :)
ReplyDeleteBreath of fresh air is always good for city dwellers.
ReplyDeleteIn a former life, I used to live in Windsor and changed every work day at Slough for the train to Paddington. Sadly, Brunel's station really is the only thing of note in Sluff (as we called it). Now down to to M&S for a few sprigs of asparagus.
ReplyDeleteJust noticed that John's tree is at the front of 3rd picture down
DeleteHow neat is that to pick up your wild asparagus in the back garden, I am jealous :) Some neat tips on how to hunt for them, I hope I can do that sometime enjoy - afiyet olsun, : ) Ozlem
ReplyDeleteAs long as we only take the tops of the plant, I'm hoping they come up year after year.
DeleteAnnie--this blog brings and gives me hope that life will improve and give relief from the endless diet we are getting in the UK. at the moment-- continual rain-permanent floods-incompitent beaurocrats-&corrupt politicians--your glimpse of sunshine and friendship convinces me there are better times to come--keep the blogs rolling & thanks a million, derek
ReplyDeleteWell we haven't got floods or bad weather but as for the rest!
DeleteMmm, wild asparagus for the searching out. You're making me drool here.
ReplyDeleteSuper photos, especially the idyllic one of the cow grazing quite surrounded by flowers. Anemones are one of my favourites.
I love Anemones too.
DeleteBeautiful photos, Annie - really lovely. I used to live near Slough, and it was always finished with 'of Despond'.
ReplyDeleteWe are always given kilos of wild asparagus at this time of year - it's very good for you and I love it in omelettes.
Axxx
Superb photos!!
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