Well, according to some obstinate revolutionaries, it is. I've cooked surprisingly little based directly on Jacobin Days considering we've gone round the calendar together and I do tend to cook pretty seasonally. But Asparagus Day is too good to miss. Even if it's a month early according to British Asparagus. But for this once, I will sink my asparagus principles to, say, the level of my tomato principles (all year round, sorry, and I like the tinned ones whenever too).
This is asparagus from Mexico, which I've had in the fridge for longer than I'd keep snapping-fresh in-season stuff, but then this isn't a dish which celebrates the freshest. I'm making an asaparagus tortilla, from Andalusia (which is a recipe book I've said isn't very useful, but this is actually an excellent recipe, so I take it fractionally back).
Begin with a thinly sliced onion (and not, ahem, a finely chopped one, mine is a tad half and half due to user error). 10-15 minutes on medium-low till beautifully floppy.
Then add lots of chopped asparagus, and sliced garlic, and give it 5 minutes on high. Stirring a fair bit.
Stir all of that into 4 eggs, well seasoned. Then take a deep breath and add a load of oil into the pan. This is just how tortillas are.
Then, plate on top, flip the pan and slide the tortilla onto the plate. Then sliiiiiide it back, upside down. Which given how wet the top is, is messy.
Still, it worked. 2 minutes or so this way up, though I gave it a little longer as I'm not wild about runny egg.
It's *very* tasty - green-asparagus fresh. Because of Jacobin Day, and because I spotted it when shopping last week, I had white asparagus on the side, but the green was definitely the better flavour this time.
So, it's kinda spring. We're still in the Hungry Gap really, but the weather and the days are turning. I've been scouring all my recipe books for next season's recipes - a set of notes under my four themed weeks, about what vegan/veggie/white meat/anything weeks may contain in April and May.
I do this periodically, though I also have lists of stuff I want to cook from the best of my cookbooks. But this is a time passing/seasonal marker of a job, which I love doing. Turning over the page from stews and baked everything to a lighter, brighter few months.
Let's hope.
I thought I was the only one who went through recipe books like this writing lists. Glad it’s not just me.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely not just you! I do it when I get a new book, but over time the old lists lose their shine or it becomes obvious I got the book in deep winter/high summer and need to rethink what I fancy. Hence the odd seasonal review. I reckon I cook at least half of them before I go onto the next season, so it's quite useful to have a list handy for inspiration.
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