A Bundle of Asparagus
the ultimate spring veg
Although you might not know it from the interminable drizzle and thick cloud greeting us this May Bank Holiday, spring is well and truly upon us. And just like every other Tom, Dick and foodie Substacker, this means one very exciting thing for me: asparagus is here.
Last year I accidentally heralded asparagus’s arrival in a rather more picturesque setting. Oscar and I were on a freezing, spring walk in Umbria, bundled up in all the clothes we had, feverishly discussing the promise of that evening’s slow cooked sausage ragu (it felt more like January than April). As we crested the brow of a hill, we came across a rather strange-looking man. He was bent double on the edge of a field, wielding what looked like a long pair of secateurs. As we approached up the track he abruptly straightened, and began to inspect the leaves of a young oak tree with a little too much enthusiasm. We greeted him and walked past, and as we disappeared out of his eye-line, I watched him snap straight back down to the ground. Something fishy was going on... It certainly wasn’t truffle season, and there wan’t a porcino in sight. So what could he possibly have been hiding?
It didn’t take me long to find out. All the way up the hill, framing either side of the road, were the unmistakeable blunt heads of freshly-chopped plants. But the man hadn’t been helping with the valley’s pruning; he was after the wild asparagus. And so, my asparagus fever began. The sole purpose of every walk that week became a hunt for these precious green spears, and whilst on 99% of occasions the asparagus man had already beaten us to it, we did come away with a few, perfectly tender (if straggly-looking) stems. See the meagre but perfect results of our foraging below…
This year, I haven’t be so fortunate as to start my spring in the Umbrian hills, but the fever has kicked off just the same. Whether it’s the comforting buttery asparagus and dippy eggs of my childhood, or my more recent attempts at asparagus and basil agnolotti, the tender, green leafiness of this vegetable never fails to bring me joy.
Here is a recipe for a very easy spring tart. It brings together some of the flavours that I most associate with spring, and what better way to do so than on a bed of flakey pastry and ricotta cheese…
asparagus, pea and ricotta tart
Serves 4
1 Jus-Rol Puff Pastry sheet
1 egg, beaten
250g ricotta
50ml double cream
1 lemon, zest and juice
1 bunch parsley, coarsely chopped
5 slices of green jalapeño (from a jar), diced
100ml (ish) of extra virgin olive oil
1 bundle asparagus
50g flaked almonds
1 large handful of peas (I defrosted mine from frozen)
dill, to garnish
salt and black pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C. Roll out the puff pastry on a baking try lined with greaseproof paper. Using a sharp knife, score a rectangular border round the pastry, making sure not to cut all the way through. Prick the central area all over with a fork, then glaze the border with the beaten egg. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until golden.
Meanwhile, crack on with the ricotta base. In a bowl, beat the ricotta, double cream, remaining egg and lemon zest until creamy. Season to taste.
In a separate bowl, assemble your green sauce. Mix together the parsley, jalapeño, lemon juice and olive oil, seasoning well.
Allow the pastry to cool slightly before using the back of a spoon to press down on its centre, removing all the air, until flat. Delicately spread the ricotta base across the centre of the pastry, leaving the border uncovered. Arrange the asparagus across the tart and return to the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes until crisp and golden. About 10 minutes before removing, sprinkle the tart with the flaked almonds.
Finish the tart with the peas, a sprinkling of dill, some more lemon zest, a crack of black pepper and a generous smattering of green sauce.
Delicious served with a watercress and Parmesan salad.
Thank you so much for reading! If you liked the recipe (or the ramblings) I’d love to hear your feedback 💛and please do share the love using the link below.