When I was in Melbourne last week I paid a visit to the Queen Vic Markets. It was foodie heaven. My poor friend was forced to wait patiently while I stopped at every single stall and gawped at the produce on display. I’m surprised he didn’t sneak off and find other things to do, rather than be associated with a complete nutter. There was SO much produce, all exceedingly fresh and, well, drool-worthy. If you’ve ever crunched into an apple straight from the tree or stained your lips (and let’s be honest, half your face) red from sitting in the boughs of a mulberry tree and shoving berry after berry in your mouth, you’ll understand my (slightly strange) infatuation with fresh fruit and veg. The asparagus in particular caught my eye. There was none of that awful, woody stuff that goes tough, stringy and bitter when cooked. These were crisp, green new season shoots. I needed to get me some of them, and soon. Obviously I wasn’t going to stash them in my bag and fly them back to Sydney (though the thought did flit through my mind), instead I was able to get my hands on a bunch at the local farmers market the following Sunday. Continue reading
