Mediterranean Asparagus Platter

A Mediterranean asparagus platter sounds complicated, but it is not. Unusual is the use of white asparagus which is our main kind grown here in Germany. It is the asparagus that needs to be peeled and it takes a bit more time to cook then the green kind.

I had some dried tomatoes in oil sitting in the fridge, they were softened in foaming butter with some fresh herbs from my balcony.

There are so many ways to prepare the white asparagus while it is in season. So many people can barely await the season to start and even with nowadays methods of plastic coverings over the fields and sometimes heated fields it takes mostly time until Easter. The price per kilo is rather high in the beginning, but after a couple of weeks when the weather is playing its part, the prices get lower. The final day for harvest in June, 24th St John´s Day.

recipe:
500 g white asparagus
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp butter
5 pieces of sundried tomatoes in oil
1 spring onion
4 tbsp butter
1 slice of wholemeal toast
2 hardboild eggs
1 tsp Dijon mustard
3 tsp sour cream
a couple of rocket leaves
a couple of basil
a couple of slices of Pecorino 
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
white pepper and salt

Peel the asparagus and cut off the end.
In a pot with salted, sugared and buttered water cook for 10 minutes or until to your preference.
In a pan melt 2 tbsp butter and sauté the spring onion rings until soft, add the finely diced toast and
get it brown, set aside.
In more butter soften the chopped dried tomatoes and add the rocket and basil at the end.
Get the hard egg yolk out of the egg, chop the egg white.

Mix the egg yolk with mustard, sour cream, paprika, salt and white pepper and make a creamy dip.
Get the asparagus on a plate and dress with all the other things on the table.