FOOD • WINE & DINE


With Executive Chef Ron Skaar ~ ronskaar@comcast.net CLOVERDALE,


CA. ~ Ancient writ- ings are muddled regarding the ori- gin of could


derive


April. It from


the Etruscan, in honor of Aphrodite or from aper “the boar” which was a very important animal in the folklore of ancient Italy. The more plausible origin which is found in early Roman writing, derives from aperire “to open” creating the spring month which opens the year. Asparagus


spears “have


been widely prized as a ten- der manifestation of spring” writes author Harold McGee. For centuries it would seem. Ancient Eqyptians cultivated it along with the Greeks while the Romans prized the wild variety. Cato gave excellent growing instructions for aspar- agus in the 200 B.C. “As quick as cooking asparagus” was an old Roman saying referring to a task accomplished rapidly. Asparagus growing beds


in northern Italy were famous during the Renaissance period. France and England developed the taste for the elegant


spears in


the 16th century. King Louis the XIV had his gardener grow this vegetable in the green-


house so he could enjoy it year round. Hope that horticulturist never had a bad crop! In the 17th century, Dutch and English colonists bring aspara- gus to the new world, plant- ing beds of it in New England. In


the


1850’s it was brought west and planted around the northern Californian town of Stockton. This area now produces nearly seventy percent of our nation’s asparagus. Water-loving vari- eties like the Atlas, Grande and Apollo are cultivated in the Sacramento River delta region, Coachella, and around the wet coastal Salinas Valley. The esteemed vegetable is


also grown in the fertile Yakima Valley and the Columbia River basin of Washington State. The cool nights and warm spring days provide the perfect growing conditions. Over 80 million pounds of asparagus is harvested here, each year, from April into early June. A particular purple vari- ety has been grown for 400 years along a small river val- ley


in Italy adjacent to the French bor- der. A researcher from UC Davis brought speci- mens of this variety


back and six years later devel- oped the seeds he wanted. The “Purple Passion” asparagus is now harvested during an 80 to 90-day period in the spring and marketed to upscale restaurants.


Asparagus deteriorates


quickly once harvested. Some seek the pencil-thin spears while others profess that the fatter stalks are more tender and flavorful. I was once told by a client that the pencil-


UPBEAT TIMES • April 2013 • 4 Eat Well & Prosper Weird Facts & Fun Trivia - 2


thin asparagus we were serv- ing “was to thin”! Cooks have been dealing with prepping the spears the same way for 500 years. We bend the stalk and allow the stress to find the snap between tender and tough. Here is an enticing aspara- gus hors d’oeuvre simplified by the ingredients available at the local grocery store. Or you can show-off


by making the


crepes and hollandaise, used in this recipe, from scratch.


ASPARAGUS, HAM AND HOLLANDAISE ROLLS


10 asparagus spears 8 fl oz. prepared hollandaise sauce 10 thin crepes 10 thin slices ham (crepes and hollandaise can be purchased ready-made at the supermarket or deli)


Trim asparagus to 8-inch lengths. Blanch in a saucepan of boiling water for 2 min- utes. Drain and refresh in cold water and then drain on paper towels. Spread 1 tablespoon of hollandaise on a crepe, top with a piece of ham and an asparagus spear. Firmly roll crepe and cut diagonally in half. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Makes 20.


In 1998, fast food giant Burger King posted a full page advertisement in USA Today announcing that they were releasing the "Left-Handed Whopper" for 32 million left handed Americans. The only difference was that the new burger's condiments were rotated at a 180-degrees "... thereby redistributing the weight of the sandwich so that the bulk of the condiments will skew to the left, thereby reducing the amount of lettuce and other toppings from spilling out the right side of the burger." Jim Watkins, senior vice president for marketing at Burger King, was quoted as saying that the new sandwich was the "ultimate 'HAVE IT YOUR WAY' for our left-handed customers.


In the sky, there is no distinction of east and west; people create distinctions out of their own minds and then beleive them to


be true. Budda


Upbeat Advertising Works!


Advertising works! I have advertised with the Upbeat Times for over 10 years and Paul has been great at helping me to brand myself and build a positive image that has paid dividends in loyal clients and referral business. Advertising consistently works and being associated with a positive paper builds on that recognition. The


business I have generated from the Upbeat Times was over 12% of my sales in 2012. Paul does a great job!


Barry O’Meara-Stearns Lending


707-494-1767 4 • April 2013 • UPBEAT TIMES Poetry: the best words in the best order. ~ Samuel Taylor Coleridge


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