Asparagus Frittata (Frtalja s šparglji)
The word 'frtalja' comes from the Italian word frittata, which means an omelet. Frtalja is a typical Istrian dish, especially common in the spring when asparagus and various wild herbs grow. In the local dialect the asparagus is called 'šparga' and it grows from mid March to mid May. An old saying from Istria says »April spareser, maio sareser« - »April asparagus, May cherries.«
Toni Gomišček calls frtalja »a child of the poor kitchen.« In his native Solkan it was a festive dish enjoyed for the first of May. During World War II that area was under Italian occupation and Slovenians were prohibited from gathering in larger groups. Gomišček recalls in Vse o frtalji how his grandfather took an egg, and hiked to an area not controlled by the Italians on the first of May. On the way he picked wild hops, butcher's broom, dandelion, and other wild herbs. That was all it took to prepare delicious frtalje and to celebrate.
Bogataj, Janez. Taste Slovenia. Ljubljana: Rokus Gifts & National Geographic, 2007.
Recipe
Ingredients (for 2 people / 2 skillets 20cm in diameter):
2 spring onions
500 g asparagus
6 eggs
2 rosemary sprigs
2 dill sprigs
2 tbsp olive oil
50 g butter
salt, pepper to taste
You can replace rosemary and dill with other herbs.
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 200C (390F).
Break off the end of each asparagus stalk where it snaps easily. Chop the stalks into 2 cm pieces.
Finely chop the spring onions.
Warm the oil in a large nonstick pan. Add asparagus, chopped spring onions, salt, and pepper and sauté on low heat until asparagus are soft.
Put eggs into a bowl and whisk until well blended.
Add finely chopped fresh herbs (dill and rosemary), the asparagus, and the spring onions to the eggs.
Mix and divide the mixture between two skillets.
Bake the frittatas until golden, about 20 minutes or more.
Serve with warm bread.