Asparagus Tart with Wild Garlic Pesto and a Short Asparagus ABC

Here is another one of my asparagus ideas (the recipe for my asparagus omelet is HERE). The combination of asparagus, ricotta and wild garlic (also called bear's garlic or ramsons) pesto is totally my thing. Beautiful colors, a slightly spicy, greenish filling in a crispy crust. You can serve this dish as a “full-size” tart or as small tartlets (this makes about 2 tartlets, 12 cm in diameter). It's a great dish for dinner, but also for a light lunch, and when you serve it to guests, it's sure to impress them and taste great.

asparagus tart with wild garlic pesto

First, though, a few words about asparagus for beginners.

asparagus

In Germany the asparagus season starts sometime between the beginning and the end of April and always ends on June 24 (100 days before the predicted first frost). It's not a cheap vegetable, but considering how it's grown and harvested (by hand), unfortunately there's no other way. Asparagus usually isn't loaded with pesticides, because it doesn't like them. It contains a lot of water (about 93%), which makes it a light, diet-friendly vegetable. One serving of asparagus (500 g) has only 75 calories. It's also rich in folic acid. Keep in mind, though, that asparagus cleanses the kidneys and acts as a diuretic, so you need to drink plenty of fluids. This is especially important when children eat it. Because it contains substances that contribute to kidney stones, people with kidney disease shouldn't eat more than 200 g of asparagus a day.

There are several kinds of asparagus, but the most popular ones in Germany, and probably in Poland too, are white and green.

Green asparagus tastes a bit more savory than white, but it also contains more vitamin C and carotene. Its color comes from the fact that it grows up out of the ground. Green asparagus is usually more delicate and thinner than white, and it cooks faster.

White asparagus never “sees” daylight, which is exactly why it's white. Sometimes the tips are tinged purple, but that doesn't mean they aren't good to eat. They just got a little bit of light. They may be slightly more bitter because of it. White asparagus tastes more delicate than green.

How to tell if asparagus is fresh?

• the cut ends are moist

• when you press the cut end, water comes out, and it shouldn't be sour

• you can easily scratch it with your fingernail

• when you rub the spears against each other, they squeak

What else?

• asparagus can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days. Wrap it in a damp cloth so it doesn't lose moisture, but it's best right after you buy it

• for soup or sauce you can buy broken asparagus or the tips and ends. They're cheaper, and in quality they usually don't differ from whole spears

• asparagus can be bitter. The culprit is the way it was cut, too close to the root. It also tastes bitter when there are big temperature swings

• both kinds of asparagus can be eaten raw, but they're just as good cooked, baked, fried and grilled

Basic ways to prepare asparagus:

In a pot:

You need a tall pot, but not an aluminum one (there are special pots for cooking asparagus, but they aren't essential). Bring water to a boil with 1 tbsp of salt and a little sugar (optional) and add the (peeled) asparagus, tips up. It's best to tie the spears loosely with kitchen string so they cook evenly. Let the water boil for a moment, then reduce the heat. You can take the pot off the burner and keep it covered for 15-20 minutes, or cook over low heat.

You can add the asparagus peels to the water the asparagus will cook in. At the end you can use the cooking liquid to make asparagus soup.

In the oven:

Wash and peel the asparagus. Arrange the spears close together on a baking sheet, salt them, sprinkle lightly with sugar (optional), dot them with little pieces of butter and cover with aluminum foil. Bake in an oven preheated to 180°C (350°F) (no convection) for about 45 minutes (the time depends on the thickness of the spears). Toward the end you can uncover them a bit so they brown.

In a wok or skillet:

Wash and peel the asparagus and cut it into pieces a few centimeters long. Heat the oil, add the spices and the asparagus. Fry for a few minutes, stirring, sprinkle with sugar and fry a little longer. Thin asparagus is best for frying.

There's a lot more that could be written about asparagus. But I hope I've helped a little those who are just starting their asparagus adventure. If you have any comments, I'm waiting to hear from you in the comments.

Now the tart:

asparagus tartlet with wild garlic

This recipe (except for the pesto) comes from the 3/2011 issue of “EatSmarter” magazine.

Ingredients:

(serves 2)

• 6 sheets of filo dough, 15x15 cm, or 1 roll of puff pastry
• 2 tbsp olive oil (plus a little extra for the pan)
• some flour
• 3 white asparagus spears
• 3 green asparagus spears
• salt
• 100 g ricotta
• 2 tbsp quark (13%)
• 1 egg
• pepper
• Tabasco (I used cayenne pepper)
• 1 tbsp wild garlic pesto

For the pesto:

• 1 bunch of wild garlic
• 10 g pine nuts
• 10 g cashews (you can use 20 g pine nuts instead)
• 1 clove of garlic
• about 40 ml good olive oil
• 15-20 g grated Parmesan
• salt
• pepper
• lemon juice, optional

wild garlic pesto

Prepare the pesto:*

Rinse the wild garlic leaves, dry them and chop coarsely. Lightly brown the pine nuts and cashews in a dry skillet. Peel the garlic and cut it into 4 pieces. Grind all the prepared ingredients into a paste in a mortar, adding the olive oil and Parmesan a little at a time. Season to taste. You can also blend everything with an immersion blender.

Lightly brush one sheet of filo with olive oil and lay another sheet on top. Brush with oil and add the next sheet. Do the same with the remaining sheets. If using puff pastry, roll it out to the size of the pan plus extra for the sides.

Lightly grease a tart pan (about 24 cm) with olive oil and dust it with flour. Line the pan with the rolled-out or layered dough. With filo, gently press the edges and set it aside in a cool place for 20 minutes. With puff pastry, line the pan, pressing the dough up the sides too, and set it aside.

Meanwhile, wash the asparagus. Peel the white asparagus along its whole length. Don't peel the green, or, if it's thicker, peel the bottom third of the spear. Cut off the woody ends and cut the spears into 3 cm pieces.

Bring salted water to a boil and cook the white asparagus for 6 minutes, then add the green asparagus and cook for another 4 minutes (I steamed my asparagus until very al dente). Take it out of the water, rinse in cold water and drain.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).

Mix the ricotta, quark, egg, salt and pepper with a few drops of Tabasco and stir in the wild garlic pesto.

Spread the cheese mixture on the dough and arrange the asparagus on top. Bake for 25-30 minutes (top and bottom heat, convection is not recommended). Take the baked tart out of the pan and serve, for example, with a mix of baby lettuce and spinach leaves dressed with vinaigrette.

Enjoy!

*You can make it well ahead and store it in the fridge covered with olive oil.

You can make basil pesto in a similar way, but I use only pine nuts for it.

I'm submitting this recipe to the “Asparagus Season” event.