The Food Diaries

Asparagus season

Take advantage of the new season asparagus while it lasts - so much meatier and tastier than the year-round supply flown in from Peru! Here are a few recipe ideas from last season, including the stunning asparagus mimosa,

Wild asparagus crostini

Around March/April is a good time to look out for wild asparagus. Though they can be quite elusive, the stems tend to be quite tall and a very bright green so stick out from their surrounding area. To find out more about foraging for wild asparagus have a look at this Sacred Earth article.

The tender asparagus stems have a very delicate flavour, so best to treat them with a light hand in the cooking. You can simply snap them with your fingers into bite-sized pieces (discarding the woody section towards the bottom) and then briefly stir-fry them in a little olive oil. Add them to an omelette as you would fresh herbs, or I like bundle them on a toasted piece of country loaf which has been lightly rubbed with a cut clove of garlic and drizzled with olive oil. A little sea salt wouldn’t go amiss.

Red and white quinoa salad with lemon, feta and asparagus

In a pot place 1 cup of quinoa (red or white or combine the two) cover with 2 cups of water, bring to a boil and simmer, covered for about 10-15 minutes. Turn off the heat and continue to steam till all the water has been absorbed.

In the meantime, grill 200g asparagus spears which have been drizzled with olive oil till just under-done, and then chop into bite-sized pieces and place in a large bowl. Finely chop a yellow pepper (cored and deseeded) and add to the bowl. Now add the cooked quinoa and 75g crumbled feta cheese (low-fat versions work just as well). Add the zest and juice of 1 lemon, season with sea salt and pepper, and stir altogether. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.

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Asparagus Mimosa

I think this may be the last of the asparagus recipes, as we are now at the close of the season; ending where we began, with the long green tender shoots of asparagus.

This is a lovely and simple recipe, which can look particularly dramatic if you use eggs which have a deep orangey hue to them (in the UK I only use the Burford Brown variety).

Take a bunch of asparagus (around 350g) and either boil, steam or grill them till just tender. Place on a serving dish. In the meantime, in a pan of boiling water carefully place 2 large eggs, and simmer for 9 minutes. Immerse immediately in cold water, then peel, separate the yolks and the whites, and chop. To make the dressing mix together 1 tsp Dijon mustard, the juice of half a lemon, 2 tbs olive oil, 1-2 tbs mixed chopped herbs (from parsley, tarragon, chives and chervil), some sea salt and pepper. Mix in the egg whites and spoon over the centre of the asparagus spears. Sprinkle over the yolks, add a little more salt and pepper.

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Asparagus with feta with lemon zest - from Ottolenghi’s Plenty

The asparagus season has been particularly bountiful this year, so am having to expand my repertoire of asparagus recipes. This one is ever-so-slightly adapted from Ottolenghi’s wonderful new recipe book Plenty.

Throw a large bunch of asparagus (500g), ends trimmed, into a roasting dish. Drizzle with 1tbs rapeseed oil and sprinkle with Maldon sea salt. Place in a hot oven (200c) for around 10 minutes (or until the tips are nicely grilled). Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with crumbled feta (60g), the zest of 1 lemon, a little olive oil, and some freshly ground pepper.

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Asparagus and Parmesan

The simplest of dishes - which therefore commands the best ingredients available.

Boil 350g new-season stocky green asparagus till a fork can just about easily pierce the stems. Immediately drain, place on a serving platter, drizzle with good-quality olive oil, some salt and pepper, and shavings of parmigiano reggiano (parmesan).

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English Asparagus with Jersey Royals and Crab - a crisp Spring recipe

The month of May is the height of the English asparagus season. Take advantage now while you can (I recommend a daily serving), because once they’re gone all you’ll be left with on the supermarket shelves are the imitation variety, flown in from halfway across the world.

Put to a boil 250g of Jersey royals (or another new potato variety). Meanwhile, in a mortar and pestle crush together 1 clove of garlic, 1 tsp coarse sea salt, and a small handful of basil leaves. Stir in 1/3 cup Greek yogurt. Set aside. Boil or steam 500g green asparagus spears till just tender. Drain immediately and cut into chunk-sized pieces (discarding the woody ends). Once the potatoes are done (easily pierced with a fork) then drain them and place into a serving bowl. Cut up the bigger potatoes into small chunks and then stir in 1tbs sherry vinegar, the basil sauce, 1 tbs creamed horseradish and 120g crab meat (canned will do fine). Add a squeeze of lime or lemon. Gently stir in the asparagus pieces and a couple large handfuls of lamb’s lettuce (or rocket will do). Drizzle with olive oil and season with crushed sea salt and pepper.

Simply omit the crab for a vegetarian version. Soy cream or yogurt would work quite well as a replacement for the Greek yogurt for a vegan version.

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Artichokes and Asparagus - simply grilled to seal in the freshness

With new season vegetables upon us, more often than not the best possible way to treat them is as little as possible. This means no to boiling and stewing, and yes to fast grilling (or even served raw if possible).

With the tender green and thin asparagus, a quick drizzle of olive oil, some salt and pepper and grilled in the oven for minutes is all that is needed. Same goes for baby artichokes (those these will need a bit of pruning first - cutting off either end, and peeling off a few of the tough outer leaves - and don’t forget to dunk them in lemon water so that they stay true to their original colour).

I like to serve these with a creamy dipping sauce of mayonnaise, thick greek yogurt, dijon mustartd, ketchup, Sriracha, lime juice, salt and pepper.

Lamb’s lettuce and avocado salad

Provence is the garden of France, and even though spring has sprung quite late this year, the markets are already laden with new season vegetables and fruit (white asparagus, artichokes, strawberries).

Spending time in southern France and Italy has taught me that the better the produce, the simpler the recipe should be to match. For instance, throw together a simple salad of soft lamb’s lettuce and avocado, lightly coated with a whole-grain mustard dressing (rub a wooden bowl with some cut garlic, add 1 tsp sherry vinegar, 1 heaping teaspoon grainy mustard, 2 tbs olive oil, some salt and pepper), served with some fresh goat’s cheese, and a chunk of baguette, and a glass of Côtes-du-Rhône. If you are lucky enough to find a sunny terrace and some friends to share your lunch with, lucky you.