The ‘Tortilla’, more properly known as ‘Tortilla Espagnole’, made with potatoes, may be the most famous and most popular tortilla in Spain, but it’s not the only one.
They are also often made with pimiento (red pepper), calabacín (zucchini) and espárragos (asparagus).
We had this one as a first course… In Spain it would be cut into small pieces and served as a tapa or tucked into a baguette for a sandwich (bocadillo).
Tortilla de Espárragos (Asparagus Frittata)
Total time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
- 5oz (150gr) green asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1″ ) 2.5cm) pieces
- 3 eggs
- 2 green garlic, thinly sliced, including greens
- 2 tbs fresh, snipped chives
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 2 tbs shredded Parmesan
Instructions:
- Bring a medium saucepan half full of water to a boil. Blanch the asparagus for 3 minutes.
- Drain and plunge into a bowl of cold water.
- Drain again and lay out on paper towels to dry.
- Whisk eggs, cheese and chives together.
- In medium nonstick skillet (8″. 20cm) heat 1 tsp oil.
- Add green garlic and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes.
- Add the blanched asparagus and warm.
- Combine the eggs and the asparagus, mix well.
- Heat remaining oil in same skillet over medium heat.
- Pour in the egg mixture and let cook, undisturbed, until brown on the bottom and dry on top..
- Turn – either by flipping or quickly with a large spatula
- Brown the other side
- Cut into quarters and serve.
It would also be perfect for a picnic.
Nothing more clearly defines a culture than food: kinds of food, dining hours, eating habits, etc. This is never more obvious here than in warm weather.
The French are a very orderly people. They are not given to change easily and are somewhat leery of trying new things. (I brought Boston Baked Beans to a village picnic, once, thinking they might like a taste of traditional American picnic fare…some of the younger crowd very gingerly took a tiny spoonful.)
They also like things to be done properly.
In schools, all over France, at 12:30 the children sit down to a proper, 3 course lunch. No grabbing food out of a vending machine for them.
So, it is only natural that at 1:00, along the highways and byways of France, you will find the French drivers pulled off to the side of the road. The trunk opens, table and chairs come out and are setup roadside, followed by the tablecloth, napkins, plates and cutlery.
The wine is opened and poured while maman sets the food out. And we are not looking at simple sandwiches! Maman has probably been up since dawn getting everything ready. There will be country pate and bread, followed by salads and heartier fare and finished with a fresh tart of pears or apples. Coffee from a thermos rounds out the meal.
Everyone sits and enjoys a leisurely lunch…amid the fumes of passing traffic. An hour later, after a proper rest to let things digest, it is all packed up and the journey continues.
In Spain there is a somewhat different approach, although they take their food equally seriously.
After at least two stops for ‘a coffee’ plus one longer one for second breakfast: a bocadillo (sandwich), often stuffed with a tortilla and a glass or two of wine, they will search for a roadside restaurant, of which there are many.
They’ll pull into to a likely spot around 2:00 and have a proper lunch: lots of food, wine and conversation. (I read once that, while Spaniards will drink all day long you will never see one drunk!). Around 3:30 or 4:00 they are back on the road. If it wouldn’t be for the fact that they drive very, very fast they would never get anywhere.
And for us?
Sometimes I’ll make a lunch, although I pass on the table and chairs…. There are picnic tables as waysides and we’ll drive until we find one.
Or we’ll buy a sandwich from a bakery.
Or find a pizza restaurant – can’t be good all the time.
We have such stringent drink driving rules here that usually there would have to be a designated driver who would abstain from the wine but on the whole roadside picnics are a rare thing here. People are in too much of a hurry and fast takeaway food is bought when they stop for petrol.
A picnic is part of the fun of travelling – we’ve had them from where we have had up pack up suddenly because of approaching ellies or buffalo to a leafy suburban street where there was a convenient bench overlooking the Saumur Chateau and the odd passing person wished us “Bon appétit”. Likewise the food varies. The only time wine features, along with our last bits of cheese and paté, is when we picnic on the TGV heading to Charles de Gaulle each September.
Frittatas are perfect picnic food Katie and so very versatile. Loving the Spring inspiration.
I wish we took picnicking that seriously. So much more comfortable than sitting on a blanket amongst the ants.
Frittatas/Tortillas are perfect for a picnic (ha anytime in my book). I’d love to think I could do the table and chair thing … but that’s probably not going to happen along the road, maybe in the backyard but then that’s not really the same thing.
Kate, the French take mealtime very seriously… and they’re a bit lax on the drinking… Cautious, but not overly so.
Gill, love train picnics! If one is eating here, anywhere, everyone says ‘bon appetit’… people riding by on bikes, in boats, walking, running…. I’m learning.
Val, and they’re good hot or cold… and the next day.
Zoomie, but a blanket in the grass in the mountains (without ants) is pretty nice…
Tanna, I’m never that organized…. and usually in too much of a hurry LOL