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Welcome to my Western Pennsylvania garden. Join me on a "Walk Down the Garden Path".

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Asparagus

Asparagus - A Haiku
Tender stalks of green
bring a delicate flavor
to Springtime dishes

I haven't written any poetry lately so I thought I would try my hand at it again. I hope you enjoy the results. I like Haiku because of the simplicity.

Our asparagus crop did very well this year. If I remember correctly, we started our patch three years ago. We have about nine plants in the garden and another large clump in a field above our house. This clump was there when we moved in and my husband has to make sure he doesn't mow it down. It is a rather large clump which we should probably try to move down with the rest but it's one of those low priority projects that just hasn't happened yet.

Here is a recipe for an Asparagus Frittata that was very good. I adapted it from a recipe by the California Asparagus Commission.

Asparagus Frittata with Red Bell Peppers

1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
8 eggs or 1 carton egg beaters
salt and pepper
1 cup cheese of your choice (feta, cheddar, parmesan)

Saute bell pepper in olive oil until soft, but not browned.
Add onion and asparagus and saute about 2 minutes more.
Whisk salt and pepper into beaten eggs.
Stir in cheese and sauteed vegetables.

Coat the inside of a heavy, non-stick 12-inch frying pan with olive oil. Pour the egg mixture into the pan. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven, covered, until eggs are just firm, about 35 minutes. Remove cover, bake until top is lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

Loosen the frittata, then cover pan with a large, warmed serving platter. Flip frying pan over onto platter. Cut into wedges and serve.

This is how mine turned out. I used egg beaters from a carton. I used my cast iron skillet to saute the vegetables and to cook the frittata. We served it right from the pan, I didn't flip it to a serving platter.

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