As winter fades and spring slowly creeps in and the acequias began to fill with parciantes cleaning out communal ditches so that fields can be flooded, the wild asparagus get ready to send their fresh shoots. For me, the joys and bounties of spring in northern NM can be found in the favors in a single stalk of wild asparagus. A shoot from plants with roots that that have been around for longer than I have have so much life and flavor you can never really appreciate conventional asparagus again. The flavor signals so much to come.

When I think on feeding myself, and others, in the most optimal ways, I think on how my ancestors might have ate. The answer always includes a little of 'what was available', which is a little obvious but nonetheless an helpful insight. What is a little less obvious is how, Mother Earth provides what we need, when we need it. Asparagus after a...