One of my favorite green vegetables is asparagus. The weird thing is, my mom NEVER made it at home, it was something that I discovered on my own once I left the house and was living on my own. I love the tender tops and they have that slight nutty taste to them. Way better than brocoli, in my opinion. ;) The problem? It's a spring vegetable, which means that any dish that has asparagus or can be made with asparagus, has to wait until then to be made. Not a terribly big deal, since most of our dishes are made by season...except for one dish in particular.
A few months ago, I was flipping through Pizza on the Grill to find a pizza that I hadn't tried. I landed on the Prosciutto & Parmigiano pizza, and was immediately intrigued. I love, LOVE prosciutto (though admittedly, it's probably even worse than bacon just for the salt factor). I then noticed the one ingredient that would prevent me from making it: asparagus. It was December, and I wasn't willing to pay the price hike for buying out of season. Wait I must. :(
I rediscovered the recipe today while making our meal plan for the week. Curious as to whether we are fully into asparagus season, I consulted the trusty Wikipedia (it's strange to think that this just wasn't an option when I was in high school) and finally found the following (as well as very, um, INTERESTING, information in relation to asparagus and bodily fluids much further down in the article):
"Green asparagus is eaten worldwide, though the availability of imports throughout the year has made it less of a delicacy than it once was.[6] In the UK however, the "asparagus season is a highlight of the foodie calendar", beginning on April 23 and
ending on Midsummer Day.[21][22] As in the continental countries nearby, due to the short growing season and demand for
local produce, asparagus commands a premium."
Hrmph. Really? I'm STILL early? I mean, I don't live in the UK and all, but if it's on the foodie calendar (which I had hoped to find once clicking on the link, but alas, no), that must mean it's solid. Right?
...you know what? I dun care! I wanna try this pizza. It IS spring, with rain and more rain and everything, and that's when the stuff's supposed to be in season. Expensive asparagus be damned!
Here is the meal plan for the upcoming week. I'm trying three new recipes this week, so hopefully all goes well with all of them. Have a great weekend and happy cooking all!
Apr 1-6th
Sunday: Lamb in almond sauce (new recipe), rice
Monday: Best-ever Mac & Cheese
Tuesday: Tuna cheese melts
Wednesday: Spice-rubbed pork with quinoa
Thursday: Prosciutto & Parmigiano pizza (new recipe)
Friday: Linguine with white clam sauce (new recipe)