venerdi santo

It's Good Friday and we are getting ready for mass.  Tonight's menu will continue the tradition of not eating meat on Fridays throughout Lent.  Since we typically eat a few vegetarian meals per week, meatless Fridays don't pose much of a challenge.  We love legumes, vegetarian risottos, seafood and, of course, the versatile egg. 

Eggs play a big part of the traditional Easter menus and celebrations.  Elaborately coloured and baked into breads or covered in brioche, they also take the star role at a tavola in the simplest of recipes: fritatta.

I've followed this recipe (courtesy of Italian Food Forever) full of gorgeous fat asparagus, omitting the pancetta and separating the eggs.  Whipping the whites solo allows them to contribute to a loftier set in the finished fritatta without compromising any flavour.  I didn't beat them to dryness just rather a sleek barely holding peak. I was after fritatta middle ground, more than a dense pancake but not a foamy souffle.

As for cheese, there are few and far between that don't complement eggs.  I used some robiola due latte (not unlike this one) that melted into liquid bliss and married the potatoes, asparagus and egg perfectly.  Parsley is the herb of choice here but, again, whatever you fancy will likely work just fine. If you've got bacon and eggs with fresh greens, mushrooms or spring onions, the delicious possibilities are nearly endless.

Along with fritatta and a green salad, we opened a bottle of Vinea Veronese Garganega 2011.  I particularly favour Sauvignon blanc with spring egg dishes, however, I quite enjoyed this Garganega in its blended style. Slight creamy almond mealy goodness balanced with pear/apple fruit and citrus/minerality all in one. With lovely length as well. I suspect that, while good with our lunch, it will be even better with our tempura battered seafood dinner tonight. 

Mangia!