Organic Asparagus Strata with Zesty Mediterranean Garnish
Serves: 6 to 8
First-of-spring asparagus gets all dressed up with minimal effort in this beautiful dish. I love how the subtle, rich flavors of the strata are enlivened by the bright garnish. And have I mentioned how much I love Cascadian Farm? Their Country Style Potatoes will save you a lot of prep time and they contain all organic ingredients. This is one to serve your special guests!
Ingredients
PreparationIngredients
Strata
- 16 to 20 thin asparagus spears Add to list
- 1 bag (16 ounces) frozen Cascadian Farm Organic Country Style Potatoes, thawed Add to list
- 3 cups grated Organic Valley cheddar or jack cheese (or your favorite flavorful cheese) Add to list
- 8 eggs Add to list
- 2 cups milk Add to list
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme or chopped rosemary Add to list
- 1 teaspoon salt Add to list
- Lots of freshly ground black pepper Add to list
Zesty Mediterranean Garnish (optional)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil Add to list
- 1 small shallot, peeled and thinly sliced Add to list
- 2 cloves garlic, minced Add to list
- 2 to 3 asparagus spears, cut into 1-inch lengths Add to list
- 1/2 red bell pepper, stem and seeds removed and cut into thin strips Add to list
- 1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives Add to list
- Juice of 1/2 lemon (or more to taste) Add to list
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste Add to list
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Cut the tough ends off the asparagus spears. Place the Cascadian Farm potatoes in the bottom of a lightly buttered 9x13 inch baking dish. Top with the grated cheese.
Place the asparagus spears in a criss-cross pattern on top of the cheese, pressing them down a bit. Combine the eggs with the milk, thyme, salt and pepper. Pour the egg batter over the asparagus.
(Note: You may make this dish in individual oven-proof ramekins. Simply cut the asparagus a little shorter, divide the ingredients up between the ramekins and top with the egg batter.)
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until golden and puffy. Serve with the Mediterranean Garnish in a pretty bowl on the side. (Think of it as a kind of zesty salsa to be added to your taste!)
For Mediterranean Garnish
Heat the oil in a small sauté pan over medium high heat and cook the shallot and garlic for 30 seconds. Add the rest of the ingredients and sauté until the asparagus is bright green and crisp tender, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Recipe by , PCC Chef
Source: PCC Fresh April 2009
ABOUT OUR CHEF: Lynne Vea
Lynne Vea is a graduate of the Executive Chef Program at Le Cordon Bleu, Paris and has been cooking with PCC Natural Markets since 2001. Featured on King-5’s "Gardening with Ciscoe," she demonstrates easy and delicious recipes using seasonal ingredients.
Lynne is an admired PCC Cooks instructor, teaching a variety of popular PCC Cooks classes throughout the year.
She loves to collect old cookbooks, hunt for wild berries, and cook seven-course dinners where the guests are encouraged to dance and cavort between courses.
Find more recipes from Lynne.
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