Spring has arrived and with it comes a bounty of fresh tender asparagus. If you've been down to your local farmer's market lately you've noticed that about the only produce available this early in the spring season are asparagus, spinach, and scallions.
The question arises as to what to do with the asparagus once you get it home? One of my favorite and simplest ways to prepare asparagus as a side dish is grilling it. Simply brush with olive oil, and sprinkle with sea salt and ground pepper. All is takes is a few minutes. Very tasty!
Another great way to prepare asparagus is in this lovely springtime frittata. I love making frittatas. They are quick and easy, and the variations are endless. Just switch out the asparagus for another veggie of your choosing (perhaps some spinach or broccoli), and have some fun experimenting with different cheeses. The possibilities are endless.
Springtime Asparagus Frittata:
Ingredients:
2 cups asparagus, cut into 1" diagonal pieces
1 1/2 cups button mushrooms, sliced
1 medium onion, diced. (scallions or leeks would work too)
2 Tbsp. EVOO - olive oil
8 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 cup fontini cheese (or other cheese of your choosing - goat cheese is great too)
1-2 Tbs. chives, chopped
fresh grated parmesan cheese
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Add the asparagus, mushrooms and onions and saute until the asparagus is tender (about 5-8 minutes).
Meanwhile, in a bowl, beat the eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Stir in the fontini cheese. Once the vegetables are done, gently fold them into the egg mixture. Pour the mixture into a pie plate and place in the oven. Bake for 20- 25 minutes, until the top starts to get golden brown.
In the last few minutes of baking, sprinkle with the grated parmesan and the chives and put back in the oven to finish cooking.
This dish works great for a variety of meals: breakfast, brunch, or a light supper. When I serve this for breakfast or brunch, I simply serve it with whole grain toast and a ice cold glass of milk.
When served as a light supper meal, it is great with a simple salad, which will make good use of the fresh spinach at the farmers market!
So, to all of you who haven't quite made it down to the farmer's market - - - What are you waiting for?
And to all of you who have been there and either didn't know what to do with the asparagus, or were looking for another way to prepare it, I hope you find this recipe to your liking.
Enjoy!
A note about eggs......When it comes to eggs, free range is always the way to go. It's always important to purchase your eggs from somewhere where you know that the chickens who laid them for you, were treated with kindness.
