Asparagus recipe tip

[astridv]

A tip I got from my parents to modify the traditional German (Westphalian?) asparagus recipe of boiled white asparagus and potatoes with melted butter or sauce hollandaise on top: The potatoes and asparagus taste at least as good if instead of the butter or sauce you sprinkle some olive oil on top and add a generous amount of freshly ground parmesan cheese.

(An especially good alternative if one happens to have forgotten to buy boilded ham and it happens to be a public holiday and all the shops are closed - the parmesan adds so much aroma that we didn't even miss the ham.)

Comments

[ratcreature]

Here the butter or hollandaise is the same, but the ham is not boiled, but Katenschinken. (Unless you have to switch to something easier to chew because you never returned to the dentist to get your provisional dentures exchanged for permanent ones, like my father did the last couple of asparagus seasons... I never realized other regions ate that kind of ham as default to asparagus. It always seemed like such an odd mismatch, heh.)

[astridv]

For me it has to be boiled ham, not smoked or anything else. But that may be a family recipe more than a regional thing, it's how my grandma always used to make it ♥ so I imprinted on that version.

My roomie grew up with having a side of scrambled eggs and fresh tomatoes so she insists on those when we cook the traditional version. Purists of course insist that the only thing you ever need are the asparagus and potatoes, anyway.

I had asparagus so often the last two weeks, I'm thinking we'll get more adventurous next and make the delicious quiche I found on chefkoch.de.

[ratcreature]

Scrambled eggs and tomatoes? Huh. I actually don't like asparagus that much. (Heresy, I know.) The last years during the season I still used to eat it at once a week, because my father loved it, and insisted on me cooking some every time, when I cooked for him once a week (and actually from his meal choices I was happier than with most others, because at least I eat vegetables, unlike say fried liver). But so far this year I only had asparagus once.

[astridv]

I actually don't like asparagus that much. (Heresy, I know.)

Heresy indeed! It's the one vegetable that everybody I know here just loves. It's my favorite veggie so I make good use of the short season.

Fried liver, ugh...