The Cottage Smallholder

Photo: Asparagus fritatta

We were given three chunky bunches of young asparagus. Washed and tied neatly with string. When I dropped them into the basket of the asparagus steamer I suddenly realised the wisdom of the string when they didn’t flop tails above the water or drop through the basket. The three bunches sat upright in the water. The bottoms simmering as the delicate tips basked in the steam.

 We had a bunch each, served with melted butter and lashings of pepper. Unbelievably good. Ultra fresh asparagus is angel food. Danny leant back in his chair and sighed with relief.

“Yes. We have a big front garden. Suddenly on the asparagus front I can see where you are coming from. How much could we plough up to leave a generous space for three cars?”

“But we have only one car each.”

“If we grew this we would always have a visitor, even if it was only for the asparagus season.”

So I’m now seriously considering our asparagus borders. S.O.L. mentioned raised beds and I think that might be the answer. Thank you so much for your input S.O.L.  I’m tickled by the fact that you feed them tea. If we had two beds I could easily nurture 20 crowns. And as a tea addict they would be  regularly nurtured.

Meanwhile  with the prospect of laods of spuds, I experimented with a potato and baby asparagus frittata this evening. It was to die for. I didn’twant to drown the asparagus flavours. They crept through the potato and egg foil. Easy and superb.

 Asparagus, potato and Parmesan frittata recipe

 Ingredients:

• 10 bantam eggs or 7- 8 medium eggs
• 50g of cooked baby asparagus (stringy ends removed)
• 15g of finely grated parmesan cheese
• 25g of finely grated pecorino cheese
• A half tsp of garlic granules (or half a medium clove of garlic chopped fine)
• 1 large potato (peeled, cooked and sliced)
• 2 tblsp of good quality olive oil
• A good lash of freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp freshly chopped Greek Basil 

Method:

1. Cook the asparagus (if it is baby sized it will need 3-5 minutes) and potato sliced into 2 cm pieces (about 8-10 minutes). Test both to stop them going too soft.
2. Whisk the eggs with the garlic. Add the grated parmesan and stir well. Pour the olive oil into a warm pan and turn up the heat. When it is smoking add the whisked egg mixture and immediately turn down the heat to the minimum. Add the cooked asparagus and potato slices over the topmand simmer gently for about 15 minutes – until the bottom of the frittata is golden brown and lifts easily from the pan. Then cover the top with finely grated pecorino cheese and put the frying pan under a medium grill to brown the top.

Sprinkle over the fresh Basil and serve on warm plates with a crisp and gentle green salad on the side.