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The Wild Asparagus Hunters are Out and About

It´s that time of year. Cars parked in odd places, the solitary person - usually a man, popping up above a bank or from behind an olive tree. The hunters of the wild aparagus are here. The plentiful rain scattered with a day or two of sunshine has brought them out in droves. Some have their route, others instinctively know where to go. They appear, walking back to their cars, with a huge bundle of foot long green spears of asparagus. And off they go, probably not to be seen for another year - or another week if the rain continues. No matter how hard the shoots try and hide the older men hunt them down with stick in hand, to fob off the spiky old growth, and uncover the tender new stems of wild asparagus. Everyone has their favourite way of cooking them but the most common seems to be in a Tortilla - the thick Spanish potato omelette to which you can add anything that comes to hand - or is hunted down. My one or two shorter stem finds don´t come close to the experienced hunters catch. I...
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Salmorejo Typical Andalusian Dish

Salmorejo, tradtionally from Cordoba, is rather like gazpacho but thicker and served more as a dip or sauce. It is based on tomatoes and garlic and served chillled.

A classic Spanish dish, Salmorejo, just like its close cousin the famous chilled gazpacho soup is served chilled with diced serrano ham and chopped hard-boiled eggs on the top.

Variations of this dish can be found all across Spain, some include pieces of orange in it, a refreshing change and surprisingly good.

Try this basic recipe for Salmorejo based on olive oil, tomatoes and garlic, it'll go down a treat especially on those hot summer days and makes an ideal dip for a barbecue.




Salmorejo 

Ingredients - for 4

garlic cloves, 2
1kg sweet tomatoes, cut in half
100g white bread, with the crusts removed and roughly broken up
10 tsp virgin olive oil, Spanish of course
2 tbsp sweet red-wine or sherry vinegar
pinch of caster sugar
sea salt and black pepper

To Garnish

1 hard-boiled egg, finely chopped
3 tbsp serrano jamon, finely chopped

Method

Put the garlic and sea salt into a mortar and crush to form a smooth paste.
Use a food processor and puree the tomatoes and bread until smooth.
Strain through a sieve. Add the garlic to the mixture and add the olive oil slowly. When it is all mixed together pour into a mixing bowl, add the vinegar, salt and pepper to taste and a pinch of sugar if needed, this depends on the sweetness of the tomatoes used.
It should be a smooth puree, add a little watet to thin it down to the consistency you want.
Chill in the fridge for about 2 hours.
Transfer into bowls and sprinkle with chopped jamon and egg.

This may be used as a sauce and served with fish or chicken or any fried or battered vegetables, it´s really good with fried aubergines.


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