Recipe: German Spargel Dinner

So, yesterday I posted a picture of my (likely) last taste of German white asparagus. Forget the green stuff; in Deutschland, white is the king of vegetables. Unfortunately, the season is relatively short. Here in Mainz, it officially ends with the coming of Johannesfest. I'm not exaggerating; after this weekend, there will be no more available asparagus until next spring. The fields are abandoned and remaining crops will be allowed free reign to grow into whatever asparagus grows into when we stop picking it.

I'm excited about the upcoming festival (one of the big 3 they have out here) but I'm sad to think that the coming of the Festival marks the end of Spargel season.

There are virtually innumerable ways to prepare this veggie, but I chose to stick with a classic, traditional dish that graces menus across the country between May and June. Although many restaurants will attempt new, bold ways of preparing Weißspargel, you can always find the classic preparation as well, namely steamed or boiled asparagus with a side of Salzkartoffeln, basically boiled potatoes. It's usually served with lemon, melted butter, or the incredibly decadent Hollandaise sauce. Most restaurants also offer the option of adding a side of protein in some form (the sign from this restaurant offers ham, salmon filet, or a veal steak). This preparation is really all about the Spargel.

Daily Update: 19 March

Daily Musings:

It was raining today. Rain always makes getting out of bed harder. But that's a day you really need to kick yourself in the pants. Don't use the weather (or your job, or your kids) be an excuse for not taking the best care you can of yourself and those around you. Make yourself a priority.

Foods:

Breakfast/Lunch - Another late start, but around lunchtime, I managed to get in the kitchen and try a new method for soft-boiled eggs (note, it didn't really work out... they were a tad overcooked, but still tasted good on toast). Here's what I had:  2 soft boiled eggs (local eggs from my Farmer's Market), 2 slices of toast (bread from a local bakery, sliced thin, about 1 cm or so), and about a TB and a half of unsalted Irish butter, which I salted myself. There's really nothing better.

Dinner - As I have literally the tiniest kitchen on Earth, we go out a fair amount. Sometimes that's just what needs to happen. Doesn't mean you can't be smart about it (not that I always am, mind you).

So tonight, our friends decided on this cute local Italian place: I got housemade gnocchi (a rather reasonable portion, kind of a shocker at any Italian place, or any restaurant in Germany!) with tomato sauce, a little bit of mozzarella, and some fresh basil! Could have gone for the creamy pesto, but I knew I wanted dessert...

Add to that one nice glass of Chianti (a wine I don't typically like too much, but it was their only dry red... and delicious!), then I split a housemade tiramisu and cappuccino with the hubs. That's a great tip too: dessert is wonderful, especially when you share! Keeps the portion size acceptable, and allows for some bonding.

Activity:

So I totally meant to do some yoga before we left for dinner, but as can sometimes hapen, life gets in the way. But I didn't allow myself to make that excuse! Regardless of the rain, we decided to briskly walk home, appx 2 miles. Thirty minutes later, and a little sweaty, we got home, feeling all the better for the effort!