Longer days, some fleeting sunshine, and bundles of asparagus herald the arrival of spring. The spiky green sprouts were celebrated in Egypt more than 5000 years ago, and the Romans had an asparagus fleet to deliver the stalks. The part we eat is the tender shoot of a perennial plant that can grow 5 feet tall. If you prefer thick stalks, you’re eating the new growth of an older plant; thin stems come from young shrubs. They both make your pee smell.
The Italian-style frittata, sometimes called an open-faced omelette or crustless quiche, provides a versatile platform for asparagus. Enhanced with leek, herbs, and the fire-roasted wheat berries called freekeh in the Middle East, it’s good right out of the oven but just as tasty the next day at room temperature.
Make the freekeh first, a few days ahead of time if you like, and cook extra if you want to have it on hand for salads. You’ll need about a cup of the cooked grain for the frittata. We cook the asparagus with the leek on the stovetop, but leftovers also work.
Add the cooked grain to the skillet with the vegetables, beat the eggs and layer with grated cheese, put the herbs on top, and pop it in the oven. Pull it out about 25 minutes later, when the top is no longer jiggly, and serve the frittata right from the skillet.
If you haven’t heard, our annual Olive Oil Garage Sale is happening in our parking lot on April 24th! Woo hoo! We’re also working hard to get the shop ready for its Grand Reopening (also on the 24th) and putting together some fun stuff to celebrate. We’ll have more details on what to expect as we get closer to the date, but we’re pre-gaming by putting all 1, 3, and 5 liter tins of Italian olive oil on sale! We can’t wait to see you all in person again!
Over the last 20 years, we’ve built strong relationships with the small farmers who produce our Italian olive oils, and we know each of them personally. We know they send us the best extra virgin olive oil, and in turn they know we’ll help keep their farms in business, because we pay them upfront. And this year we’re getting more oil than ever. That’s where you come in!
Every spring, we offer our customers a chance to participate in our Olive Oil CSA* to help us continue supporting our small farm partners. It works like this: Until the end of May, you can buy a CSA share for $100. 60 days after purchase, that share converts and is worth $120, and it’s good for anything we sell. Italy is slowly opening up and we expect to receive our container of fresh oils in July.
*We know it’s not technically a CSA, but who wants to read about Olive Oil Futures?
