Baggiano

This is the perfect time of year for early Spring cooking. Disparagingly, all the asparagus in the stores is from Peru. I've been making dishes that are somewhere between the heavier meat stews of winter and the fresh fish or grills of summer. I noticed this recipe in an Aussie Italian cooking magazine, (with the off-putting name Italianicious). Baggiano, an Emilia Romagna recipe, is a beef stew lightened with artichokes, broad beans (baggiano = fava, I used thawed fava beans from Whole Foods) and peas. The meat is slowly cooked with a bit of tomato paste dissolved in broth, and the vegetables really add flavor. Served with lightly cooked potato pieces and garnished with flat leaf parsley, it's the ideal March dinner. A great first try.