Following Mother Nature’s lead

and an easy recipe for asparagus-leek stock that captures the season’s goodness

Nature is a clever matchmaker.

Yet in the antiseptic world of the modern grocery store, we’ve long ignored her inherent wisdom. Why else would we be able to buy wooden tomatoes and anemic corn in December, or strawberries and asparagus in February? If we followed the rhythms of the seasons, the produce aisle would be decidedly less varied in the long months of winter.

We’d understand that our cold storage friends - carrots, potatoes, turnips, beets, cabbage, apples - were designed to play well together. Whether in a savoury stew, a roasted veggie platter, or a deep dish apple pie, the winter harvest is meant to satisfy our somnambulant desires for richness, warmth and depth.

But now we’re ready to wake up.

More greens please

As we shake off our slumber and run gladly into spring’s open arms, Mother Nature wakes us up ever so subtly, softly, gently. Not for spring the intense flavours of summer’s sultry heat. The season’s best mirrors the fresh tender green of our blooming gardens. Snow, sugar snap and shelling peas, ramps, artichokes, fiddleheads. The tender pink of rhubarb and the slightly spicy pale red of radishes. The delicate flavours are a balm and the perfect way to ease into a new rhythm.

Asparagus may well be my favourite of all of spring’s green things. There is nothing like the squiggle of joy I feel when the first tender stalks appear at my local farmers’ market. For a few frantic weeks, it’s everything asparagus. This most versatile of veggies is at home in my morning eggs or as an add-in to my favourite cheesy frittata

The thing about asparagus is those pesky woody ends. While many advocate that a really fresh bunch of slim stalks can be used in the full, the reality is that most of us end up the discarding asparagus ends. It’s the same conundrum with leek tops. What if we could use up every last bit?

Asparagus and leek stock

Asparagus soup is a seasonal favourite at our house and soups of all sorts go on rotation, especially those that can be frozen. When I came across a Melissa Clark asparagus soup recipe years ago that made a flavourful stock from asparagus bottoms and leek tops, it quickly became a staple.

I make this stock throughout asparagus season, even when I’m not making soup. Every time I break off woody asparagus ends, or trim leek tops, I store the scraps in the refrigerator. Once I have at least three cups of ends and about the same amount of chopped leek tops, I make up a batch.

Easily frozen, doubled and modified, having this stock as a lovely vegetarian stock option at the ready year round lessens the bittersweet end of asparagus season.

Ingredients

2-4 cups woody asparagus ends

2-4 cups leek tops, chopped and rinsed

6 cups water, vegetable or chicken stock

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon salt

2-3 peppercorns

Combine all ingredients in a large stock pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat so that stock is gently bubbling and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain stock in a colander set over a large bowl, pressing down gently on the greens to extract all the delicious liquid. Allow to cool and use for your favourite soup recipe, or freeze for future use.