Spring pasture with Swiss cows near Arth
Springtime is a magical season. It’s a time when the Earth ”awakens” and forests, orchards and meadows spring into a riot of vibrant color.
In Switzerland—a land of dairy farms, milk, fine cheeses and chocolate—spring also heralds one of Nature’s most elegant culinary delights: the white asparagus, nicknamed “white gold” by Europeans and “sparrowgrass” by the British.
Nina and I were driving through Switzerland in April, at the height of “spargelzeit”—when chefs from all over the world import white asparagus from Germany, Switzerland and France (and now Britain too!). Practically every restaurant we dined in offered its own dish of white asparagus. Dishes varied from exquisite asparagus cream soup, to grilled, boiled or steamed asparagus served with Hollandaise, Café de Paris sauce, or melted butter. We were in asparagus heaven!
The white asparagus, once considered a luxury, is milder and more tender than the green asparagus and coveted by restaurants as the epitome of gourmet dining during its season (April to June). White asparagus needs a specific combination of soil, temperature
White asparagus ("White Gold")
and rain to develop its perfect taste. Dirt is mounded around the emerging stalk, keeping out the light and the plant from producing chlorophyll, which makes a plant green.
The taste of asparagus defies description. It’s neither overwhelming or bland. When asked to describe its taste, most people stumble with words and metaphor appears to work best. One friend tried by describing what asparagus is not: such as sweet or sharp. When Nina pressed her, she described it as “clear”, an interesting term that resonated with a truth of sorts. But what the heck does “clear” really mean?
Asparagus was used from early times as a vegetable and medicine, owing to its delicate flavor and diuretic properties. It has anti-oxidant properties, can help prevent heart disease, stroke, possibly cancer and boosts energy. Ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans cultivated and ate it fresh when in season and dried the vegetable for use in winter.
View of Lake Lucerne and Swiss mountains from Seelisberg
Asparagus is low in calories and sodium and contains no cholesterol. It’s a great source of vitamin B6, calcium, magnesium and zinc, and a very good source of dietary fibre, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, thiamin, riboflavin, rutin, niacin, folic acid, iron, phosphorus, potassium, copper, manganese and selenium. The
amino acid asparagine gets its name from asparagus.
I didn’t mind that Nina got us thoroughly lost driving through the Swiss Alps (well, we weren’t ever really lost—I had a map; “Let’s try this road, Nina,” I’d suggest. ”Ok!” she would happily respond and cheerfully veer into the tiny one-lane road in the spirit of adventure). It seemed that at every scenic winding turn a tiny village emerged, and we found a restaurant or café that offered something with asparagus. Besides the obligatory café crème, we always ordered a dish with asparagus. For instance, in the little village of Merlischachen on Lake Lucerne, we had an exquisite Château Briand à l’argenteuil,
Pork and morels with white asparagus at the Rossli
(the French village of Argenteuil is renowned for its asparagus). The asparagus was steamed with a delicate Hollandaise sauce, prepared by Werner Meier, chef of the Swiss Chalet. The asparagus paired wonderfully with the robust 2005 Speri Amarone, a spicy rich and aromatic wine that lingered on the palate to form a complex and zesty marriage with the asparagus and the beef.
On a drive along the east shore of Lake Lucerne (Vierwaldstättersee), we discovered Rotschuo, a hotel/restaurant nestled in the craggy shoreline in Gersau. We sat on the patio and our waiter, Carsten, served us a Gebratenes Kalbsteak mit einer Sauce Hollandaise an frischen Spargel mit jungen Kartoffeln in der Schale (46 FCH). LOL! That translates to: veal and asparagus with Hollandaise sauce and young potatoes. We paired our meal with a hearty German wheat beer, a Hacker-Pschorr Weissebeir, which made Nina very happy.
Toulouse about to devour a Pork steak with asparagus at Rotschuo
One of my personal favorites was the “spargel crèmesuppe” (asparagus cream soup). We were first introduced to this elegant soup by Werner Meier, chef of the Swiss Chalet, who surprised us with a tiny “Toulouse-size” cup at the beginning of the meal. Thick, faintly olive green and garnished with a froth of crème and parsley leaves, the soup was just enough to delight and tease the palate for more. Its faint earthy aroma filled my nose with the wholesome elegance of Mother Nature. What better way to celebrate the season of spring and the awakening of the Earth! We enjoyed the soup so much that the next day we ordered a full bowl each to go along with our escargots (another post!) and Speri 2005 Amarone wine, which made ME very happy… :-3
Toulouse savors "spargelsuppe" at the Rossli
On another day, as we drove along one-lane country roads just east of Baar, we came across the village of Schönenberg and stumbled upon a wonderful hotel/restaurant run by Rita Bloesch, owner and chef of the Rössli. Rita is known for her fine grilled meats and barbeques and her inn is always packed with local farmers who like her beer and the ambience of the place; but, it was her spargel crèmesuppe (9.50 FCH) that particularly delighted my palate. As with the Swiss Chalet in Merlischachen, Rita’s soup was elegantly creamy with a full aromatic body that went extremely well with the fresh bread and tomato-butter and joyful Oeil-de-Perdrix Rosé de Pinot Noir we ordered to accompany it. We returned to Rita’s restaurant another day and feasted on pork filets with morel sauce, steamed asparagus and baked new potatoes. I had to lick my whiskers after!
Drive along the Wagetaler See
On yet another excursion to the Swiss Alps, I directed Nina to a “hidden lake valley” of enchanted forests and breathtaking views of craggy snow-covered mountains. There, we discovered a jewel: the Gasthaus StausseSee in Innerthal on the shores of the tourquise Wagertaler See. Nina and I sat on the outside terrace with a view of the sparkling lake. After several café crèmes (perhaps the best coffee I have ever tasted—and I’ve been to Paris!) we ordered the spargel crèmesuppe to go with our open-faced mozzarella-tomato sandwich and salad. We were delightfully surprised when Priska arrived with a huge bowl of thick soup. Was it the fresh alpine air? The breathtaking view? Nina’s jokes?… This thick and almost nutty soup was vigorously earthy. Its exquisite aroma sprang out with an elegant clarity that spoke of snow-covered mountains and a bracing breeze off an alpine lake. We’ll be back… :-3
Wine pairing with asparagus: Most sommeliers suggest a Chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon pairing with asparagus. “Brooklynguy
Priska befriends Toulouse at the Gasthaus-Stausee
” says, “The biggest mistake is to pair asparagus with a fruit-driven wine, which means avoiding most American wine, and most new world wine in general. Asparagus are the anti-fruit, and they don’t work well with fruity wine. Please, whatever you do, be very careful mixing asparagus with rosé wine.” Nina and I proved that a carefully chosen rosé can provide a wonderfully complementary pairing with asparagus. The take-home message is be imaginative and adventurous. Try different wines you like. Try a Pinot, for instance. Then tell me what you think.
Photos by Nina Munteanu
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