When, towards the end of March, the first tender asparagus heads poke through the soft earth beneath the light-proof protective film, it is time for Margarete season to begin in Terlan. This means that asparagus farmers will be very busy over the next few weeks. The fields have to be gone over every day, the earth banks uncovered, and the growing sprouts cut, as these much sought-after shoots can easily grow 20 cm in 24 hours if ideal conditions of around 16°C prevail. 2 protective films are there to ensure that the asparagus stay white, as once the shoots are exposed to sunlight, chlorophyll forms and they turn green, producing green-coloured asparagus. The white, or pale asparagus, have been harvested since the 19th century. But on the subject of Margarete; we are not just talking about one type of asparagus here, but a seal of quality, named after Margarete of Maultasch.
She was a woman with a strong personality who resided in the fortress above Terlan in the 14rh century. Customers buying Margarete asparagus are also buying the guarantee that the asparagus are sold on the morning they are harvested and are therefore as fresh as possible. This means that they still contain all the vitamins, minerals and trace elements, that they are naturally endowed with and, more importantly, they keep their excellent taste.

Guilt-free eating to your heart’s content

The celebratory opening of the asparagus season is a veritable feast, with classic and tried-and-tested dishes an essential part of the menu:

Asparagus with ham, boiled patatoes and Bozner Sauce
Asparagus risotto, light and easily digestible, with gorgonzola and pears for an exotic touch
White asparagus soup

and more innovative recipes to tickle your palate:

Asparagus strudel
Asparagus gnocchi
Warm asparagus tartlets

Other recipes, such as asparagus ice cream, are even more of a surprise and we offer you the recipe from the German book 33 x Spargel written by Heinrich Gassteiger, Gerhard Wieser and Helmut Bachmann:

Asparagus ice cream with strawberries and balsamic vinegar

INGREDIENTS FOR 4 PERSONS:

Asparagus ice cream:
200 g white asparagus
400 ml milk
100 ml cream
150 g sugar
1 dspn glucose syrup (available in cake shops, to make the ice cream creamier, but sugar may be used instead)
50 ml orange juice
1 dspn Grand Marnier

Other ingredients:
400 g strawberries
30 g icing sugar
2 dspn Grand Marnier
2 dspn balsamic vinegar
4 chocolate decorations
4 citrus thyme sprigs to decorate

Preparation of asparagus ice cream

Peel asparagus and cut into thin slices.

Cook milk, cream, sugar and asparagus slices and leave to steep for around 10 minutes.

Add glucose syrup, orange juice and Grand Marnier, combine in mixer and strain through a fine sieve.

Leave to cool and freeze in ice cream maker.o serve:

Wash strawberries and cut into quarters.

Stir icing sugar with Grand Marnier and balsamic vinegar so that the strawberries are lightly marinated, and put into glass bowls.

Serve strawberries with a scoop of asparagus ice cream, chocolate decorations and citrus thyme sprigs.