Medieval style Asparagus anyone?

April brings 'spring cleaning' in the States. Here it brings asparagus. Huge, white, rated into 5 categories asparagus stalks everywhere you go. White because the stalks are deprived of sunlight (kept mounded in dirt) and therefore cannot create the chlorophyll to turn green. It's "spargel" season. Last year at the special spargel stand at the store I bought a handful of the middle-rated stalks - about the size of a very large carrot. Dutifully, I also purchased Hollandaise Sauce, as is traditional. After my purchase the clerk put my purchased stalks through a special maching (think classic, old-time popcorn maching but with a dozen blades through the middle). Fed through one at a time, the stalks were spit out the opposite end peeled and ready to boil. Had them that night. They were fine, almost tastless but for the mild sauce. More tender (less chewy) than the skinny greens, perhaps. But we decided this was one German obsession we just don't understand.

And this weekend we will probably end up, once again, at the "Middle Ages Market" as we did last April. And wonder anew at the uber-obsession the people here have with all things medieval, castle-like, and knight-ish. A few examples: more than half of the boys' costumes at Fasching were knights. Every major board game here has a 'medieval version.' Most Christmas markets (including the one we went to in Stuttgart last December) are actually two markets. Modern and - you guessed it - Medieval. In the medieval market the huts are tents. The sellers have period robes on. The handmade products are horns, leather ties, swords & knives, old style candles, and woolen clothing. You will usually also see a falcon or other large bird and more than one horse.

The market last year was a trip. Food was sold on sticks or eaten with hands. Visitors (excepting ourselves) were dressed as if it were 500 years ago and stopped to compare leather money purses and sword sheathes with their friends. We bought one small wooden frog for my collection and some sort of meat on a stick. After avoiding sharp swords swinging from strangers and large hounds that were thankfully tame, we (ran for the hills) went home. If you need roughly sown shawls or chainmail... let me know soon.