The Simple Things

Taking time to live well
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asparagus-the-simple-things-blog.jpg

Asparagus with Gill Meller, River Cottage

lsykes April 6, 2014

River Cottage's head chef explains why home-grown asparagus is worth waiting for, in April's issue of The Simple Things. "We've been waiting three years for our asparagus bed at River Cottage to yield anything considered ripe for cutting," says Gillon Meller. "Patience, our gardener insists, is the watchword when growing this delicate little plant."

"The first asparagus of the season always signals the beginning of good things to me. Maybe it's the promise of better weather or perhaps it's the variety it brings to the kitchen for the few weeks it's with us. In late March and April, I make it my culinary mission to find the freshest cut spears I can. That can mean going to quite some lengths, but it's well worth it.

"There's such a big difference between week-old asparagus and that which has been cut within hours of eating. The natural sugars found in this superb short-seasoned vegetable quickly start converting to starch, which means they lose their sweetness as each hour passes. We'll often jump in the car a few hours before service and hare up the old track to our local grower's patch in order to pick up spears cut fresh to order."

In his menu for The Simple Things, Gill has paired asparagus with 'one of the most delicious cuts of meat known to all good men - the humble pork belly'.

For the full recipes, see The Simple Things, April issue:

Slow roast pork with chargrilled asparagus and mint

Lamb's kidneys with mustard & cream

Purple sprouting broccoli with taramasalata, preserved lemon & smoked paprika

Gillon Meller is head chef at River Cottage HQ, which is found on the Devon and Dorset border. He also contributes to cookbooks, teaches at the River Cottage Cookery School and appears regularly on the River Cottage TV programmes.

To book your place on a course at River Cottage HQ visit www.rivercottage.net

Follow Gill on Twitter: @gillmeller

InLiving Tagsvegetable recipe, vegetables
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  Buy ,  download  or  subscribe   See the sample of our latest issue  here   Buy a copy of our latest anthology:  A Year of Celebrations   Buy a copy of  Flourish 2 , our wellbeing bookazine  Listen to  our podcast  - Small Ways to Live Well
Feb 27, 2025
Feb 27, 2025

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See the sample of our latest issue here

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Feb 27, 2025
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The Simple Things is published by Iceberg Press

The Simple Things

Taking time to live well

We celebrate slowing down, enjoying what you have, making the most of where you live, enjoying the company of of friends and family, and feeding them well. We like to grow some of our own vegetables, visit local markets, rummage for vintage finds, and decorate our home with the plunder. We love being outdoors and enjoy the satisfaction that comes with a job well done.

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