Foraging For Organic Asparagus On Mt Etna on the Island of Sicily in Italy
- Joan Fehr
- Jul 10, 2024
- 2 min read
Foraging For Organic Asparagus On Mt Etna in Sicily Italy and how to make a great scrambled egg with Etna's wild asparagus and herbs.
As the story goes, Mount Etna or as it is sometimes referred to as Mother Etna is rich with volcanic black ash containing many rich minerals. Because Etna is a continually active volcano, it is almost always releasing some ash in clouds and then releasing it onto the surrounding fields, vineyards, gardens and lemon and olive groves. This is a huge reason why the villages and cities in Sicily and further afield all over Italy are so wealthy with organic products. They are very proud of the seasonal aspect of only using products when they are fully ripe and in season and zero kilometre or as close as possible.
We noticed that when we had our vineyard tilled up, the beautiful Etna soil was very rich and fertile. Our vines grew 8 inches in a 3 week period in spring. Also the surrounding gardens and fields produce incredible foraging plants that feed animals and people alike. On this episode (youtube channel) we go foraging on the Pioppi and Betulle farm property where they have many good products to find. Harry brought home wild asparagus, sorrel, rosemary, and fresh eggs from the chickens. The following recipe is based on just the items he found in our surroundings.
SCRAMBLED EGGS WITH WILD ORGANIC ASPARAGUS - RECIPE:
Ingredients:
5 organic farm eggs
Olive Oil
1 handful wild asparagus Rosemary Sprig (very small amount)
Small red berries (optional)
Hot Red Pepper Flakes (very small amount)
Salt & Pepper to taste - in our case the ingredients were so flavourful that we didn't even need to add salt
Description:
Add the eggs whole into a dry pan or WOK. On low heat, cook the eggs stirring with a wooden spoon. Do not stir or wisk the eggs beforehand, but only while cooking in the pan. Stir only enough to still see the separate yellow and white colours and only a few minutes (about 3 minutes) and remove before completely cooked. They will continue cooking a little in the plate. At the same time, in a second frying pan, add a drizzle of olive oil and heat. Add the chopped wild asparagus and the rest of the ingredients except for the salt and pepper. When the asparagus are al dente, remove from heat and pour over the plate of eggs. Add cracked pepper, and if needed, add a pinch of salt.
TIP: Do not add salt to eggs during cooking or they will turn a grey colour.
Serve with a crusty wood oven baked bread soaked in the pan drippings from the herbs and asparagus.
SIMPLE. SIMPLE. SIMPLE.
WINE PAIRING: Pair with an Light White Wine. We used an Etna Gambino FEUDO 2022 White.
"The white Feu d'O has a straw yellow color (tending to gold) and is characterized by intense aromas of yellow fruit, such as pineapple, melon, passion fruit and ripe peach. Inebriating notes of basil and thyme give vivacity and elegance to a Grillo with a rich and enveloping flavor."
Check out the following websites:
For Gino D' Campo Islands in the Sun - Episode on Sicily: S03:E03
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