The weather here has been so odd, that I haven’t risked walking in the fields to look for wild asparagus. We have had so much rain ( much needed rain) that it would have been a muddy mess.
That said, I do know that on the road down the hill from our house, heading into town, I always see the female asparagus fronds after the season is over. So sort of remembering where they are, I keep my eyes peeled for asparagus.
Usually the local neighbors beat me to it. I often see them with their baskets or plastic bags going up and down the road and also in the fields. There are so many edible weeds here as well as asparagus.
We were rewarded yesterday but the site of a long asparagus shooting up!
You can see the long asparagus tip, hidden in the grasses and the very fine plant with the tiny balls on it is the female asparagus plant and her seeds.
As we drove along the road we were rewarded with more asparagus sightings!
It is the little things in life that make me happy! I don’t need a zillion asparagus, but adore finding “free food” and appreciate it. My husband makes fun of me, saying I should leave the asparagus on the road, as it is not a lot.
Not a huge “harvest” but enough to enjoy. I simply sauteed them in a little olive oil with some fresh garlic and a pinch of salt and then baked then in the oven in a “tortino”.
A tortino is like a frittata, but baked in the oven. I made a small one for us to enjoy together, using our local ceramic ramekins.
I know, I should have a bottle of wine here, but the frittata was hot and still puffy from the oven and I wanted to take the foto without fussing with setting up too much.
Tortino di Asparagi for Two
I used one egg, lightly beaten with 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese, a pinch of salt and 2 tablespoons of milk.
The wild asparagus was cut into bite-size pieces and sauteed with some green garlic in extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt until tender.
Stir the asparagus into the egg mixture and pour into a small ramekin to bake.
Bake at 350 degrees until the center is cooked and puffed up.
This is great hot but also cold. Italians love an egg sandwich using a frittata or tortino.
A frittata is usually started on top of the stove like an omelet and then finished in the oven, for those that are afraid to flip in the pan!
You inspire me to try new things and to trust myself more in my creating in the kitchen. Sunday morning breakfasts have become something I look forward to doing. In the past I let the criticism of others stifle me in my cooking and I fell into the habit of just following receipes, cooking the same things the same way over and over and very blank cooking. I feel reborn and have a passion I never new I had. My goal is to someday make it to Italy for one of your tours and some cooking lessons. Thanks!
Asparagus is like a normal grass but I think it can belong to the vegetables because it is an example of free food from nature.
Your torsion looks beautiful. I have wild asparagus that grows in my orchard but I have not seen any this year.
I love your story of finding the wild asparagus. Wonderful!
Judy, this is just plain fantastic..researching family history lately has put me in touch with my inner Italian I want to walk the Via Gori in Florence
Wonderful post and photos. Stared at the first one for over a minute, just enjoying, and then drooled over the last two! Thank you.
How lovely. Spring is in the air, and foragers are out and about. There is nowhere near my home for that, so I am seriously envious. Thanks for another terrific post- and thank you also for the enlightenment about the tortino. It is new to me.
Photo two…and is that rosemary behind the asparagus??? sigh
A woman after my own heart! I grew up eating dandylion greens at my grandma’s (and thought it was so cool that they grew everywhere)
Road side asparagus? That’s a double treat!
@maureen- yes it is a farm that raises rosemary!
Just back from a trip to the Veneto last month, with their wonderful white asparagus appearing in the markets. There too, a classic pairing, asparagus with eggs. They serve simply with hard boiled eggs that are mashed up with olive oil. I like the frittata too – this will be a nice lunch for me this week.