Hyacinths I'll take because they perfume the room. Asparagus I'll take because it creates one of my favorite soups. And it was all because of William Poll.
When I first came to the Upper East Side, I was distressed at how there were fewer food choices than in the West Village. In the WV, one could roll out of bed and find multiple places to find food.
So wasn't I thrilled to explore the William Poll shop and see a variety of dishes already made. My pick was a glass jar filled with asparagus soup - no heavy cream, no oily film - no nonsense. Just pure heaven.
I felt the shop was old New York. At the time, I had no idea Lew Wasserman's wife or Joan Crawford had been regulars. There was a patina to the place that would be unparalleled. This much I knew.
When I started asking questions, James Poll looked more than happy to go into everything in every fascinating minutiae. At the end of the tour, he led me to a delicate woman in her 90s.
She got up from her chair to plant a kiss on my cheek. Following his mother, James did the same. At the time, I was a bit baffled and embarrassed. I wanted to say, "Guys, it's just a jar of asparagus soup."
The nonagenarian was Christine Poll and I now consider myself blessed and proud to say I had been kissed by this amazing woman.
You don't have to be a Hollywood starlet to have a jar shipped to your poolside. You don't have to come from New York's bastion of old money to taste it. On a cold, rainy April day, I stayed in and was inspired to create my own version. And I think it comes very close to what I tasted years ago.
Asparagus Soup (1-2 servings)
You will neeed:
1 bunch of asparagus
100 mL of filtered water
¼ teaspoon of Himalayan pink salt
2 large garlic cloves, pressed Instructions:
1) Cut and discard the hard parts of each stalk.
2) Boil water and steam the asparagus for 4 minutes (with the lid closed)
3) Cut up the steamed asparagus to fit into a mini food processor (I use a small KitchenAid)
4) Place the garlic, the salt, asparagus, and the water into the processor (or Vitamix, NutriBullet, etc)
5) Whiz until you achieve a smooth consistency. If you prefer a thicker, chunky soup, whiz less.
The benefits of asparagus are many. It's a great anti-inflammatory agent. It regulates your blood sugar. It's great for gut health. It is a prebiotic. Prebiotics feed your gut flora. Lactobacillus and bifidobacterium need prebiotics to multiply. The best benefit of all is that it's delicious.
April to May is peak season for asparagus, so get out there and grab a bunch for the last hurrah! ~e
