Where better to start my blog than with something I look forward to every Spring. British Asparagus has started to appear in the shops in the last two weeks and, not having had the chance to go and source it somewhere rural, I have had to rely on my local Waitrose. We planted some asparagus this year but it takes three years for it to produce, or so I am reliably told. Fortunately, the hours I spent planting tomatoes, aubergines, squash, rocket, onions, peas, broad beans and a whole host of other stuff should, weather permitting, see things come to fruition this year. Watch this space....
So, let's get back to the asparagus. I cheated and bought some ready made puff pastry, which is a shame because my husband is the ultimate puff/flaky pastry king but saves his delights for the Christmas sausage rolls. Onto the rolled out pastry, I ladled my homemade (yes, really) pesto, some softly-sweated onions, thin slices of goat's cheese and some delicately arranged (in nice, neat rows) asparagus spears. A sprinkling of grana padano and a brush of milk on any bare ends of pastry finished it off before placing in the oven. Truly delicious with just a green salad and ,the leftovers are perfect taken the next day to work, cold, in a lunchbox.
To drink with that, we had a Loire Sauvignon Blanc from Reuilly, nice and acidic from the 2008 vintage and ready, therefore, to cope with the goat and the roastiness of the asparagus. Reuilly is a lesser-known and usually cheaper neighbour of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé. I would highly recommend it.
What are your favourite wine matches for asparagus?
So, let's get back to the asparagus. I cheated and bought some ready made puff pastry, which is a shame because my husband is the ultimate puff/flaky pastry king but saves his delights for the Christmas sausage rolls. Onto the rolled out pastry, I ladled my homemade (yes, really) pesto, some softly-sweated onions, thin slices of goat's cheese and some delicately arranged (in nice, neat rows) asparagus spears. A sprinkling of grana padano and a brush of milk on any bare ends of pastry finished it off before placing in the oven. Truly delicious with just a green salad and ,the leftovers are perfect taken the next day to work, cold, in a lunchbox.
To drink with that, we had a Loire Sauvignon Blanc from Reuilly, nice and acidic from the 2008 vintage and ready, therefore, to cope with the goat and the roastiness of the asparagus. Reuilly is a lesser-known and usually cheaper neighbour of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé. I would highly recommend it.
What are your favourite wine matches for asparagus?
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