TODAY'S RECIPE: Asparagus Pancakes

I can hear the circling helicopters in the distance, dogs yapping and people calling my name, but I can't stop. I just have to keep checking yet another bush for another spear of asparagus. Just one more. Then another one and another one. The search and rescue people asked me to tell them approximately where I would be looking tomorrow so that they could find me more easily, but I won't be fooled. They just want to get to MY asparagus before I do...

Okay, so I exaggerate slightly, but I am seriously addicted to looking for the elusive spears. I can no longer just go for a walk in the woods like Bill Bryson did. No, I have to stop every few meters and peer into the prickly bushes to see if there is just one spindly spear waiting to be plucked by me, amid shrieks of joy.

Look at the above picture and see if YOU can spot the asparagus spear. Well? Can you? See, not as easy as you thought. Now look below and see if you can see it now that I've zoomed in.

I mentioned in the last post that they often work with Security Plants, aka, prickly pear plants, but this is now working to their disadvantage. Instead of just looking for the prickly asparagus bushes, every time I see a Prickly Pear Plant, I go over and check to see if there is asparagus. Your cover is officially blown, Security Plant.

I've mentioned Anja in several other posts and she is once again responsible for todays recipe idea. She mentioned that they had Asparagus Pancakes for supper last night and it got me thinking – yes it can happen! We often have Pancakes, Ham and Asparagus with the white asparagus, but it is just as good with green asparagus or the wild ones we pick in the forest here. Here is my recipe for this deelicious meal.

TODAY'S RECIPE:

ASPARAGUS PANCAKES

-Vegetarians can leave out the ham for a different but equally enjoyable meal. Alternatively, you could add a slice of cheese in place of the ham.

-I add chopped chives as I love the flavor and the lovely green speckled pancakes. They are, however, not a must, so feel free to leave them out.

1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp chopped chives
Oil or butter for frying the pancakes
16 stalks of asparagus
4 slices of ham or parma ham

METHOD:
1. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Mix the milk, egg and oil together and whisk into the dry ingredients. I don't normally have lumps when I use a whisk, but if you do, leave it to rest for 10 minutes and whisk again, or pass through a sieve. Stir in the chives, if using.
2. Heat the butter or oil and pour in about a quarter of the batter. Should you prefer you pancakes to be thinner, use less batter and make more pancakes. Cook until browned on one side and then flip over and brown the other side. This should only take a few minutes per side. Keep warm while you make the others.
3. In the meantime, cook the asparagus. Depending on the thickness of the spears and on your preferred level of “al dente”, they will need to be cooked in boiling water for about 4-8 minutes. Keep checking so that you don't overcook them.
4. When you have finished making all the pancakes, put a slice of ham in each one and top with 4 asparagus spears. (See the notes above for a vegetarian option.)
5. Roll up and enjoy! Deelicious!