From the field to the plate: asparagus from the Thun region

As soon as the temperatures rise after winter, the tender white and green asparagus start to emerge from the earth again. Filip Luginbühl's fields between Bern and Thun are used for harvesting, sorting and direct sales. This is real manual work, supported by a well-coordinated family and employee team. If you want to find out how much care goes into each individual spear and how it becomes a culinary highlight, this is the place to come.

When spring is in the air, one of the most popular vegetables returns to our plates: asparagus. This is high season for Filip Luginbühl's family business in Kirchdorf. Not only is it harvested here, but also worked with a great deal of dedication and knowledge - almost everything is done by hand, from seedling to harvest.

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Where the asparagus grows
‍Asparagusalso grows in the field in Uetendorf betweenthe kohlrabi and corn - green and white. What many people don't know: Both types of asparagus come from the same plant. The only difference is the cultivation method:

White asparagus thrive underground and under a black sheet that keeps out the sunlight. Without light, the plant remains pale. The sheet can also be turned so that the lighter, light- and heat-reflecting side is on top.

Green asparagus, on the other hand, are allowed to grow out of the soil. The green plant pigment chlorophyll is formed by sunlight - a natural process of photosynthesis.

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Perennial work with a sure instinct
‍Theasparagus plant is a permanent resident: the same root can remain in the field for up to twelve years. But this is precisely why particular care is needed when harvesting. If you prick too deeply, you damage the root - and jeopardize the harvest for years to come.

The asparagus harvest begins as soon as temperatures consistently rise above 20 degrees - often at the end of April. The plant then grows rapidly: at 25 to 30 degrees, it grows by up to three centimetres a day. The team therefore moves across the rows every day and a half to prick the tender spears. The harvest ends by the summer solstice on June 21 at the latest - a deliberate pruning so that the plants can recharge their batteries for the next year.

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Manual labor all along the line
‍Everystep in asparagus production - from planting and care to harvesting - is carried out by hand. Machines are only used to lift the warming sheet and put it back again.

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A real family business
‍Thefarm is run by Filip Luginbühl, a trained market gardener and qualified farm manager, who took over the farm from his father in 2021. He is supported by his mother Katrin, who is responsible for the administration. Together they run the farm as a generational community - with a lot of passion and a down-to-earth approach.

The employees are another core element of the business: Up to twelve workers from Switzerland and Poland are part of the team in the high season. Three apartments on the farm provide them with space, while Filip's parents also continue to live on site - a true coexistence of generations, people and nature.

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Fresh from the farm - or from Gourmador
Only the best asparagus makes it to the wholesale trade, for example to Gourmador Unterseen, Luginbühl's main customer. Smaller asparagus or second choice asparagus remain on the farm and find their way to the farm store or the Märit - fresh, regional and straight from the field. Because quality starts with the harvest. Gourmador supplies the Hauenstein Hotels, among others.

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Culinary delights at the "Burehuus"
‍If youprefer to enjoy asparagus straight away, the Burehuus restaurant in Thun is the place to go. With his recipe for tender white asparagus with classic hollandaise sauce, chef Frank Noordhoek shows how this simple vegetable can be turned into a real treat:

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Recipe: Tender white asparagus with hollandaise sauce
‍Arecipe from Frank Noordhoek, head chef at Restaurant Burehuus

Ingredients for the hollandaise sauce:

250 g butter

3 egg yolks

3 tablespoons white wine

A dash of lemon juice

Salt and white pepper

Preparation
First prepare the hollandaise sauce. Melt the butter slowly while you place the egg yolks in a round bowl with a splash of lemon juice and the white wine. Place the bowl over a warm, non-boiling water bath and beat the mixture with a whisk until it reaches a creamy consistency and has tripled in volume. Then remove the bowl from the bain-marie and stir in the melted butter in a thin stream. Season the sauce to taste with salt and white pepper.

To prepare the white asparagus, peel them carefully and place the peel in a pan of boiling water with a quarter of a lemon and a pinch of salt. Allow the peels to steep for around thirty minutes so that their aroma can develop. Then remove the peel and lemon, bring the asparagus water back to the boil and cook the asparagus at a low temperature until they have reached the desired consistency. Just before serving, toss the asparagus in a pan with a little butter and season with salt and pepper. Serve with the creamy hollandaise sauce, which perfectly complements the delicate flavor of the asparagus.

Tip: The aromatic asparagus stock makes an excellent base for a delicious asparagus soup.

We wish you bon appétit!

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