I cannot believe a week has passed since we landed in Italy. Our time in Milan and seeing the Expo will absolutely the highlight of our year; it truly is a spectacular event and if you have an opportunity to visit, please don’t miss it.
The countries represented, the architecture of the buildings, the displays and the art have been so well planned, you’ll have a difficult time seeing everything in a single day; it can be done but plan on spending the entire day and even though there is quite a bit of walking, there are plenty of chairs, benches and spaces for sitting when you need to take a break.
Asparagus is in season both here in Italy and at home and when this time of year rolls around, we can’t seem to get enough; pasta with asparagus, strawberries with asparagus, asparagus tarts, asparagus breakfast wraps and this simple dish – asparagus salad with chopped egg.
There really isn’t a recipe per se, but rather an assembly of fresh ingredients which takes less than 30 minutes to prepare – and you have a dish that for me, represents spring.
ASPARAGUS SALAD WITH CHOPPED EGG
Serves 2 as a main or 4 as a side
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 lb fresh asparagus
- 2 hard boiled eggs
- Lemon-thyme vinaigrette (recipe to follow)
METHOD:
- Rinse asparagus and snap (or cut) off tough, woody ends
- Place long spears in a shallow skillet filled halfway with water; add a pinch of salt and bring to a boil
- Reduce to medium-low, cover and steam for about 5 minutes; the spears should be al dente – meaning, cooked but tender and with a bit of bite
- Remove lid and drain; plunge spears into salted ice cold water to stop the cooking
- Place on a tea towel and pat dry; set aside
- Peel eggs and remove yolks; chop the whites and yolks separately
- Lay asparagus spears on a platter; place whites, then yolks across the middle of the spears; salt, pepper and dress with vinaigrette
FOR THE VINAIGRETTE:
Makes about ½ cup
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- zest of half a lemon
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
METHOD:
- Place all ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake until well blended; drizzle over salad and serve