Asparagus?????????????

The edible shoots appear in the spring. A new patch, you can harvest for 2-3 weeks. (Many people recommend not harvesting at all the first couple years, to let the plant gather all the energy they can)

Once the patch is established, you can harvest the shoots in spring for 4-6 weeks. Then you let the shoots grow, which turn into the 5 foot "ferns" that an asparagus patch is for the rest of the growing season.

Cut it down in the fall after they turn yellow.

If you're asking this question I guess you planted it this spring. If this is the case you need to cut the ferns back when they go brown in the autumn. Give it a good dose of fertilizer and wait for the shoots in the spring. When you see these you will what it is you are going to be cutting to eat. However, next year you will need to leave the shoots to grow into ferns again. This enables the plant to build up it strength so that you get years and years of good asparagus.

The following year you can cut some asparagus but not for long then the following year you can really enjoy a good crop. I suggest you take a look at www.asparagus-lover.com for much more detail on growing and caring for your asparagus.

It will be worth the wait!

Prosciutto, I would say. It's more malliable, therefore easier to wrap around the stalk. Besides, asparagus is a rather elegant vegetable and I think the flavor of the prosciutto really sets it off. The best wal I've found to cook asparagus is to bring about 4 inches of water to a boil in a large pot, add 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon garlic salt and 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, then add the asparagus and allow to cook till the stalks seem to be getting just a tad limp, about 6 minutes. Blanch them (run them under ice cold water immediately after removing from heat) Wrap them in prosciutto, plate and garnish with a splash of balsamic vinegar and a dash of garlic salt... and a sprig of fresh oregano if you like.

Asparagus takes 2 to 3 years to firmly establish. What you are describing is perfectly normal. I always just let mine grow and cut it back in the fall after it goes to seed. Once it establishes, harvest only what you will use and let some keep growing and you will enjoy it for many years to come.