Asparagus and boiled eggs

Ingredients for 4 people:

1 kg white asparagus from Bassano

4 eggs

1 cup olive oil

Some white wine vinegar

Salt and pepper

Cut the asparagus end of about 2 cm, peel off the tough and stringy parts and wash under cool running water. Boil the asparagus for about 15-20 minutes or more, depending on the thickness of the asparagus,  in lightly salted water, tied in bundles and with the tips pointing upward, but out of the water. The water should cover the asparagus for ¾. Boil the eggs for about 5 minutes. Prepare an emulsion of oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. When the asparagus are cooked, drain, untie and let them dry on a towel. Arrange the asparagus in a serving dish, crumble or chop three eggs over the tips of the asparagus and simply slice the fourth egg. Season with the vinaigrette and let stand some minutes before serving.

Carrots with spicy caper and anchovy pesto

Ingredients for 4 people:

4 medium sized carrots

3 anchovy fillets

4 basil leaves

1 tablespoon pickled capers

1 lemon

5 tablespoon olive oil

Salt, pepper

Wash and peel the carrots. Cut into thin strips with the aid of a peeler and collect them in a bowl. Create an emulsion with the oil, a little salt, pepper and the juice of half a lemon, and pour over the carrots. Mix and marinate for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, chop with a knife, the capers, basil and anchovies creating a sort of pesto. Drain the carrots and season with the pesto. 

Sweet acacia flower fritters

16 clusters of flowers

150 g flour

200 ml milk

Salt

2 eggs

20 g sugar

The tip of a teaspoon of vanilla powder

1 liter peanut oil for frying

Powdered sugar

Remove the leaves, but leave the flowers gathered in clusters. Clean them well (make sure there are no insects) leaving them to soak in water for 10 minutes. Drain and pat dry with kitchen paper. You can decide to make the fritters with the entire cluster or just the flowers.

In a bowl, beat the egg yolks with a pinch of salt, add the milk, the vanilla and the sifted flour until your batter is smooth and thick. Cover the bowl with film and let it rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

In another bowl, whisk the egg whites with the sugar and then add to the batter. Heat the oil in a pan, dip the clusters into the batter and fry them until golden on both sides. Transfer them on a plate lined with kitchen paper, sprinkle with powdered sugar.  

The ideal temperature for frying is of 170-180 ° C. One way to check if the oil is hot enough is to dip the handle of a wooden spoon into the oil, if bubbles form around the handle, then the oil is ready. Fry a few clusters at a time so that they don’t stick together. Wanting to use only the flowers, once you dip them into the batter, gather them with a spoon.  

Asparagus quiche

To make the brisè dough:

250 g "0" flour

125 g butter, cold from the fridge

½ cup cold water

Salt

For the filling:

400 g green or white asparagus

1 shallot

30 g butter

1 egg

½ cup fresh cream

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Salt, pepper

Cut the cold butter into small pieces. Sift the flour into a bowl and form a fountain. Add the butter, a pinch of salt and ½ glass of cold water. Work quickly until mixture is firm and smooth. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let stand in the refrigerator for at least 40 minutes. Meanwhile, wash and peel the asparagus, removing the woody end.  Then boil them in lightly salted water for a few minutes, until tender, drain and cut into small pieces. Gently fry the finely chopped shallot with the butter, salt and pepper. Add the  asparagus, stir to blend well and cook for a few minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside. Beat the egg with the cream, salt, pepper and grated cheese. Divide the dough into two parts, roll both to form two discs, one bigger than the other. Use as little flour as possible on the work surface. Grease a round baking dish and line with the larger pastry disc. Prick the bottom with a fork, fill with the asparagus  and pour over the egg mixture. Cover with the second disc of dough. Press the edges with your fingers to seal well, make small incisions or prick the surface of the dough to allow steam to escape and bake in a preheated oven at 200 ° C for about 40 minutes.

Stuffed mussels

Ingredients:

500 g live mussels

400 g tomato puree

1 glove garlic

½ glass of dry white wine

100 g breadcrumbs

1 egg

20 g grated parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

3 sprigs parsley

1 piece of hot chili pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

Salt

Remove the beard and brush the mussels thoroughly under running water, discarding any broken ones. Put them in a pan with the wine and the parsley sprigs. Close the lid and cook on high heat for about 5 minutes, until they open  up. Lift out the mussels from the pan, strain the cooking liquid and set aside.  Put the tomato puree in a wide pan with the peeled garlic, half a glass of water, a small piece of chili pepper, a pinch of salt and 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Put the lid and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes. Add the mussels’ cooking liquid and cook for another 10 minutes and then discard the garlic and the pepper. Meanwhile, mix in a bowl, the breadcrumbs, the chopped parsley, the grated cheese, an egg and a pinch of salt. Fill the valve containg the mollusc with this mixture, keeping the other half-shell attached. Once they are filled, add them to the tomato sauce,  bring to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes. Before serving, stir a few times to flavor.

Baby spinach salad

Baby spinach salad with bacon and green apple

Ingredients:

200 g baby spinach

100 g bacon cut in two thick slices

1 green apple

The juice of one lemon

1 tablespoon mustard

4 tablespoons olive oil

pepper

Clean and wash the spinach thoroughly, dry them well dabbing them with a clean cloth or paper towels. Collect them in a bowl. Wash the apple, remove the core, cut into slices and sprinkle with lemon juice. Cut the bacon into strips, brown it in a non-stick pan and then place on kitchen paper to lose the excess fat. Add the apple and bacon to the spinach.  In a bowl, dissolve the mustard with the oil and some freshly ground pepper. Emulsify the ingredients with a fork and season the salad with this sauce before serving. 

Panna cotta with strawberry sauce topping

Panna cotta

Ingredients:

75 g sugar

4 egg whites

1 teaspoon powdered sugar

200 g strawberries

500 ml fresh cream

125 ml whole milk

Butter

Lightly beat the egg whites with the sugar. Then pour the cream and milk and work the mixture with the aid of a hand whisk until smooth and homogeneous. Butter the ramekins and pour the cream into them. Place the ramekins into a baking dish and fill it with hot water (not boiling) up to 2/3 of their height. Bake in the oven at 180 degrees C for 30 minutes. Once ready, let cool and then remove the panna cotta from the ramekins, place on serving dishes and put in the fridge. In the meantime, wash the strawberries, dry well and whisk them with the icing sugar. Pour the strawberry sauce on the panna cotta and serve.