Spring has sprung
The grass has riz
I wonder where the birdies is….
I can still hear my late father reciting this little ditty as he walked through the kitchen door, many, many years ago – Oh how I loved his ability to recite poetry, ditties or sing a tune about a topic being discussed…
With the arrival of spring the birdies are back in our garden… The king parrot, such beautiful bird, and if you didn’t know it, you would be looking around for a squeaky swing, which is the sound she makes the entire time she’s here.
Then there’s mother Thrush, who has returned again this year, to nest in the conifer at the end of the swimming pool – she is such a busy mum, and keeps us entertained with her decoy antics as she darts back and forth to her nest with food for her hungry family. Of course the raucus rainbow lorikeets always let you know when they’re around, they certainly can create a din!
A wander through the garden also indicates that spring is well and truly here, the old rose over the arbor is really enjoying the care it’s been given since we discovered it struggling in the forest of trees when we first arrived. The heady scent is just amazing and the dusty rose colour of the petals, so pretty – I am hoping that I can find the time to make a batch or two of the rhubarb and rose petal jam that I made last year.
Continuing along the Magnolia bed is putting on a beautiful show with the bearded iris’s, lavender and roses providing some much needed colour.
Off to the left, we were so excited to see the red currant bushes that we planted last year, are going to provide us with a little fruit this year .
Down in the vegie patch, where the weeds have taken over given the distractions of the last few months, there is still a little happening. While the weeding is under way, the broad beans are covered in flowers and finally the bees are doing their job. The sorrel has shot up to seed and needs trimming down, the strawberries are flowering, the fruit trees have blossomed, fruits are forming and the leaves are back,
and I have my first ever artichokes forming.
Back to the porch where seeds have been sown – how I love checking each day to look for signs of green in the little pots of soil. Oh the anticipation of the summer crops…
But for now, we get to enjoy this seasons’ crop of asparagus.
This has to be one of the simplest recipes for asparagus using just a few good quality ingredients. It makes a delicious light entree or a wonderful appetiser to enjoy with a nice cool drink on a warm evening.
- 1 egg
- 2 bunches of very fresh asparagus
- 2 tbsp good quality extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp good quality balsamic vinegar
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
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Place your egg into a pan of water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes.
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Remove the egg from the pan and immerse it in cold water for one or two minutes before peeling it.
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Meanwhile, bend the asparagus until the tough bottom ends snap off - discard the end.
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Bring another pan of water to the boil and add the asparagus spears. Cook for 2-3 minutes until just tender.
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Drain and arrange on individual serving plates.
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Drizzle over the olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
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Using a course grater, grate a little hard boiled egg over the asaparagus.
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Season with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- If serving as an appetiser, plate on a large serving plate for people to help themselves from.
- If the asparagus spears are quite thick, they may take a little longer to cook.
- You could add a little salt to the water for the asparagus if you wanted to.
Really, how lucky are we?
Until next time…
Happy gardening & bon appétit!
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Beautiful photos.
Thank you so much.
The garden looks beautiful. Lovely to hear the ‘grand old dame’ appreciated all your hard work when you first arrived.
I think asparagus will be on my shopping list so I can try the recipe for breakfast.