A full moon in Munich to herald the arrival, finally, of spring! Asparagus sprouts suddenly everywhere: in markets, on menus. Green from Greece, white from Spain, served with pride and a goodly dollop of "Dutch sauce" (Hollandaise) in the beer halls.
Price is steep enough, about ten bucks for a half dozen exquisitely tender stalks, worth every penny. Such a pleasant change from the weedy, woody asparagus we get in Seattle, imported from Peru. Globalization: Yakima Valley farmers can't compete with South America's lower labor costs.
UPDATE: three or four Spargel sellers in the Altstadt today have added the first locally grown, hothouse asparagus. Price is 10 euros per kilo (about $6/lb), double the rate for imported.
Heading back to Paris shortly. Will see if the glorious white asparagus from Argentueil has made it to the markets. Hmm. Might have to wait around another couple of weeks ...
French Chef Sally is my friend Sally McArthur, who hosts luxurious,
week-long cooking classes at the Chateau du Riveau in the Loire Valley.
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