Paphos Life

There is an excellent quality green Asparagus on the market at the moment, much better then later in the year when the Cypriot one appears. This is the fourth time this spring I had it for lunch, normally together with potatoes and ham, but today a quicker version with potato dumplings (Ital.Gnocci)

Here is the shopping, of course from Lidl as they had Italian week and I like to get a lot of products then.


I cook the green Asparagus for 8 minutes in salt water, sugar and butter (1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp sugar, 30 gr butter) until it is tender.
First I cut off 5 cm from the bottom of the stalk to use it later for soup. Then I cut another 5 cm off in case it is stringy and also use it for soup.
To finish it I pour ca 30 gr browned butter on top. The Gnocci are ready after 3 minutes in boiling water and get another minute in browned butter with sage to get some taste to it. Well, and the Italian prosciutto needs only a bit of pepper. Finally some sea salt on top of the asparagus. That's it.



close up


As drink I enjoyed some Cypriot Shiraz Dry Rose which I got from a good friend ....

Max

kali orexi max

Asparagus aren't my thing, but your presentation makes them look very appetising.

My Cypriot next door neighbour, enjoys waking up at ungodly hours, and heads off to the fields to forage, for all sorts of things to eat, now and again he will bring my wife some wild asparagus , wife then cooks them mixed with eggs, very tasty they are too.

WHL wrote: ↑Wed Mar 10, 2021 8:59 am My Cypriot next door neighbour, enjoys waking up at ungodly hours, and heads off to the fields to forage, for all sorts of things to eat, now and again he will bring my wife some wild asparagus , wife then cooks them mixed with eggs, very tasty they are too.

There are two different kinds of wild asparagus (Agrelia) in CY. The quite tasty green one and the black one (mainly very thin). The black one is very bitter for my taste, even when it is mixed in a lot of scrambled eggs. I used to hunt for Agrelia 20 years ago in dry river beds in the area of Pomos below the dams, all winter long with good results (and cheap)...Wild asparagus is less bitter if you boil it in salt/sugar water for a couple of minutes and finish it afterwards in the pan with the eggs.

Max

Am not over keen on wild asparagus, but I do love the fat tame stuff that is grown commercially. Afterwards, the smell in the toilet becomes a little unpleasant for a couple of hours also!

I always snap asparagus near the bottom, it naturally breaks where it's tough.

Devil wrote: ↑Wed Mar 10, 2021 2:52 pm Am not over keen on wild asparagus, but I do love the fat tame stuff that is grown commercially. Afterwards, the smell in the toilet becomes a little unpleasant for a couple of hours also!

Too much information

WHL wrote: ↑Wed Mar 10, 2021 8:59 am My Cypriot next door neighbour, enjoys waking up at ungodly hours, and heads off to the fields to forage, for all sorts of things to eat, now and again he will bring my wife some wild asparagus , wife then cooks them mixed with eggs, very tasty they are too.

Talking wild asparagus: I just realized that I don't have to walk far as wild asparagus grows in my garden....and garlic does as well


Max

cyprusmax47 wrote: ↑Sat Mar 13, 2021 10:32 am

WHL wrote: ↑Wed Mar 10, 2021 8:59 am My Cypriot next door neighbour, enjoys waking up at ungodly hours, and heads off to the fields to forage, for all sorts of things to eat, now and again he will bring my wife some wild asparagus , wife then cooks them mixed with eggs, very tasty they are too.

Talking wild asparagus: I just realized that I don't have to walk far as wild asparagus grows in my garden....and garlic does as well


Max

Get yourself a few hens, aparagus, eggs in your back garden, happy days.