The Joy of Scottish Asparagus
The window of opportunity may be short, but it also one of the most glorious in the foodie calendar; asparagus season is here!
The window of opportunity may be short, but it also one of the most glorious in the foodie calendar; asparagus season is here!
Asparagus in Scotland is a bit like the sunshine, enjoying a glorious, but somewhat brief moment in the spotlight, bringing happiness in abundance to all who indulge!
The local season can be as short as three weeks, and certainly won’t stretch to much longer than six, and it is this tiny window that ensures chefs and delis across the country jump on the pick of the crop to offer to offer a host of creative dishes and bright green shelves of produce, throughout April and May.
Why so brief? Well, unfortunately it dislikes the rain and doesn’t fare well in temperatures below 10 degrees. It is a miracle, quite frankly, that we have any harvest at all! However, here in Tayside we are blessed with local farms such as Denhead and Eassie who work tirelessly to counteract these less than favourable conditions, and in doing so, deliver a high-quality product that tastes and looks fantastic.
Packed full of goodness, asparagus is a natural diuretic, and boasts nutrients including vitamins A, C, E, K, and B6, folate, iron, potassium, copper, calcium, and protein—and is a rich source of antioxidants.
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We’ve used Denhead Farm asparagus with Tracklements strong horseradish cream - a marriage made in foodie heaven in our humble opinion. Try the smoked salmon pasta for a quick and easy mid-week dinner, and get use out of Tracklements' jar by serving up this delicious salad with radishes and new potatoes.
Buy Now: Tracklements Strong Horseradish Cream
Serves: 2. Ready in 10 to 15 mins.
Cook the pasta according to instructions. Meanwhile steam the asparagus and cut into inch long pieces. Drain the pasta leaving 1 tbsp of liquid in the pan with the pasta. Stir in the salmon, asparagus, crème fraiche and Strong Horseradish Cream – we use Tracklements readymade. Season to taste.
Ideal for the summer weather and as an accompaniment for BBQ’s, this potato salad is packed full of crunch and flavour.
Boil the potatoes in plenty of salted boiling water for 20 mins or until tender. Cut the potatoes in half lengthways and toss in a little olive oil and season. Toss the asparagus spears in oil and season.
Set a griddle pan over a high heat until searing hot, griddle the potatoes cut side down until strong lines appear. Do the same with the asparagus. Arrange the potatoes, asparagus, radishes and sugar snap peas on a serving platter.
Whisk together the dressing ingredients and season to taste. Drizzle the dressing over the salad, finish with the pea shoots and dill sprinkled on top.
Images and recipes © Tracklements
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