asparagus

Forget the sterile aisles of the supermarket! Imagine this: a glorious Dutch spring day, the sun warming your back, and fields of vibrant green stretching before you. You’re armed with a special little knife, a basket, and a sense of adventure, because you’re about to embark on one of the Netherlands’ most delightful culinary quests: picking your own asparagus!

There’s something incredibly therapeutic about stooping down, peering beneath the earthy mounds, and carefully selecting each perfect spear. Whether you’re a seasoned asparagus hunter, gently snapping or cutting the thickest, juiciest stems, or a first-timer giggling with friends and family as you discover your first hidden gem, the joy is palpable. It’s a real treasure hunt! The earthy scent, the satisfaction of that gentle snap as you harvest your bounty, and the shared laughter make for an unforgettable outing. It’s not just about filling your basket; it’s about making memories, connecting with the land, and knowing that these magnificent spears went straight from the earth to your hands. Pure, unadulterated farm-to-table fun!

Once your basket is brimming and your spirits are high, it’s time to head home and turn your hard-earned harvest into culinary magic. The beauty of freshly picked asparagus is its incredible versatility and vibrant flavour. It’s a superstar that often needs very little fuss to shine!

Bringing Your Green (or White!) Gold Home: Culinary Adventures Await!

1. Simple Roasted Asparagus with Lemon & Parmesan This recipe lets the natural flavour of your freshly picked asparagus sing!

Ingredients:

500g fresh asparagus, tough ends snapped off
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 lemon, cut into wedges
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F).
On a baking sheet, toss the asparagus with olive oil, salt, and pepper until evenly coated.
Spread the asparagus in a single layer.
Roast for 10-15 minutes, or until tender-crisp and slightly browned.
Remove from the oven, squeeze fresh lemon juice over the top, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired. Serve immediately.

2. Creamy Asparagus & Pea Risotto A comforting and elegant dish that beautifully showcases the freshness of your asparagus.

Ingredients:

1.5 litres (6 cups) vegetable broth
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
300g (1.5 cups) Arborio rice
120ml (0.5 cup) dry white wine
300g fresh asparagus, tough ends snapped off, cut into 2.5cm pieces (reserve a few tips for garnish)
120g (1 cup) frozen peas
50g (0.5 cup) grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

Heat the vegetable broth in a saucepan and keep it at a gentle simmer.
In a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
Add the Arborio rice and stir constantly for 2-3 minutes until the edges of the grains become translucent.
Pour in the white wine and stir until it’s completely absorbed by the rice.
Add one ladleful of simmering broth to the rice, stirring continuously until it’s almost completely absorbed. Continue adding broth, one ladleful at a time, stirring constantly and waiting for each addition to be absorbed before adding the next. This process will take about 18-20 minutes.
About 5 minutes before the risotto is done (the rice should be creamy but still have a slight bite), stir in the asparagus pieces (and any reserved tips) and frozen peas. Cook until they are tender-crisp.
Remove from heat. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve immediately, garnished with a few asparagus tips and extra Parmesan.

The “Green Garnish” Gin Gimlet

Feeling adventurous after your picking spree? Asparagus isn’t just for dinner; its unique earthy, slightly grassy notes can add a sophisticated twist to a cocktail!

Ingredients:

60ml (2 oz) good quality gin
30ml (1 oz) fresh lime juice
15ml (0.5 oz) simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water, heated until dissolved, then cooled)
2-3 thin slices of raw asparagus (from the middle section, not the tip or woody end)
A long, thin asparagus spear for garnish

Instructions:

In a cocktail shaker, gently muddle the asparagus slices with the simple syrup. Don’t overdo it, just enough to release some flavour.
Add the gin and fresh lime juice to the shaker.
Fill the shaker with ice and shake vigorously until well-chilled (about 15-20 seconds).
Double-strain the cocktail into a chilled coupe or martini glass to remove any asparagus bits.
Garnish with a fresh, long asparagus spear. Enjoy the surprisingly fresh and savoury kick!

So, next time you’re in the Netherlands during asparagus season, ditch the supermarket trolley and grab a picking knife! The experience of hand-harvesting these delectable spears, the joy of sharing that bounty, and the endless culinary (and cocktail!) possibilities make for an unforgettable adventure. Happy picking, and even happier eating (and sipping!)!

Tuinderij Eyckenstein, Biologische groenten

vegetables

utrecht

Tuinderij Eyckenstein is an organic vegetable farm situated on the historical kitchen garden of Landgoed Eyckenstein in Maartensdijk. The farm cultivates a wide diversity of seasonal, certified organic vegetables. The farm offers a self-picking program where participants can purchase a season-long share, allowing them to harvest their own organic vegetables once a week from late April to mid-October. Each week, a selection of five different vegetables is made available for self-pickers, with guidance provided by the growers.

Kweekland

fruit, vegetables, flowers, herbs, berries, nuts

gelderland

Stadstuin Kweekland is an urban garden and CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) initiative located in Arnhem, encompassing an 8,200m² site on a south-facing slope adjacent to Sonsbeek park. It is designed as an “edible landscape,” striving for a diverse array of edible trees, shrubs, crops, flowers, and greenhouse vegetables. The garden operates under a foundation dedicated to education, social reintegration, and fostering connections with green initiatives. The primary method for self-picking is through a CSA membership, where individuals purchase an “oogstaandeel” (harvest share) at the beginning of the season. This membership grants unrestricted access to harvest from the garden throughout the season, typically running from April 1st to December 1st, for their own needs.

Boerderijwinkel Hoorn

vegetables

drenthe

Aspergeboerderij Hoorn, located in Huis ter Heide, offers visitors an immersive farm experience centered around asparagus cultivation. Guests have the opportunity to pick their own fresh asparagus directly from the fields and can learn how to sort, peel, and prepare it. The farm features a shop where, during the asparagus season, fresh asparagus is sold alongside a variety of other local and regional products. They also provide ready-to-cook asparagus meal boxes and gift packages. For a relaxing visit, the farm has a terrace serving coffee, tea, asparagus soup, apple pie, and other regional delights. Children are also catered for with a playground and various animals on site.

Pluktuin Gewoon Buiten

fruit, vegetables, flowers, herbs, berries

noord-brabant

Nestled in the countryside of Rijsbergen, near Breda in North Brabant, lies Pluktuin Gewoon Buiten, an ecological self-picking farm. This vibrant space operates as a social project, sustainably cultivating a variety of produce with respect for people, animals, and the environment. Beyond its fields, the farm is also home to horses, chickens, ducks, geese, and bees, creating a diverse natural setting. Visitors can participate in several ways: Harvest Participants: By becoming an annual subscriber, individuals can weekly pick their own seasonal vegetables, herbs, and small fruits from April to October. This typically provides enough produce for a week’s meals for the registered household members. Flower Picking: The flower garden is open to everyone without a subscription. From June onwards, visitors can freely pick flowers to create their own bouquets, paying based on the bouquet’s size. Stamp cards and gift cards are also available. Direct Purchase: Loose flowers and any surplus herbs, vegetables, and fruits, along with fresh eggs, can be purchased directly at the farm. Apples, pears, and plums are occasionally available in a small farm shop for an additional charge. Volunteering: The farm thrives on the efforts of volunteers, who can contribute their time, learn about ecological farming, and often take home leftover harvest. The farm offers a wide array of produce for self-picking during the season:

De Moestuin Utrecht

fruit, vegetables, flowers, herbs

utrecht

De Moestuin Maarschalkerweerd is a biological farm and garden located in Utrecht, dedicated to providing a green space for community engagement and social impact. It operates as a social enterprise, offering activation and learning-work programs to individuals who are seeking to re-enter the labor market. Visitors to the farm have the opportunity for self-picking during the harvest season, which runs from approximately April to December. Those with a self-picking subscription can typically harvest 4-5 different types of vegetables and fruits each week. The extensive vegetable garden cultivates over 50 varieties, including capuchin peas, lettuce, beans, palm cabbage, tomatoes, sweetcorn, Jerusalem artichokes, and pumpkins. For fruits, strawberries, red currants, blackberries, black currants, and raspberries are available for picking in season. The farm also features apple, pear, cherry, and quince trees, as well as grapes and figs grown in a greenhouse. Additionally, a dedicated flower field allows visitors to gather their own bouquets, with a colorful selection of blooms such as dahlias, sunflowers, cornflowers, safflower, marigolds, coreopsis, amaranth, wild carrot, summer asters, liquorice plant, snapdragons, verbena, flax, sweet pea, knotweed, love-in-a-mist, and cosmos typically flourishing from July to September. A diverse herb garden boasts 75 types of culinary, medicinal, and dye herbs.