Little Flatbread Pizza with Asparagus, Egg, Cheese and Pepperoni

Asparagus, egg and pepperoni flatbread

In honor of the first asparagus from the garden, this is one of the best breakfasts, lunches or dinners that I can think of. I just had it for breakfast. As a gardening geek, As soon as the first chard, chive or asparagus pokes its head above ground, I’m running around telling everyone I know. Sad but true. I tend to celebrate Spring.

2012 has to be the earliest I can ever remember picking asparagus. Granted, there are only 4 stalks large enough to pick but there are a couple of hundred coming along later. There also appears to be a major crop of slugs, too. Yum.

Actually, I kinda lied about this being a recipe. It’s not really. It’s just a technique. I didn’t even have the correct ingredients, since this is much nicer with thick asparagus, so it makes a “dam” to keep the egg from sliding off the flatbread before it’s cooked. But this early in the asparagus season, I don’t get thick asparagus out of the bed.

A flatter type of flatbread, other than naan is actually a little better as naan tends to be too bumpy, and the egg tends to slide to one side or the other. But it’s what I had in the freezer and I am all about improvising with what’s available. If your flatbread is largish, two eggs work fine, and could really make two servings.

This has everything going for it. It’s crispy, a little spicy from the pepperoni, creamy from the cheese, fresh tasting from the asparagus and sauced by the egg yolk. Make yourself one for breakfast soon. Or whenever you get your hands on some good, thick, LOCAL asparagus. Celebrate Spring.

Little Flatbread Pizza with Asparagus, Egg, Cheese and Pepperoni

Note: if you don't have a baking stone, place the flatbread on a baking sheet before assembling, and keep it on the sheet to bake.

Preheat your oven with a baking stone, if you have one, in it to 450°F. You’ll need:

4 thick, crisp - cooked asparagus stalks

1 small flatbread

About 2 ounces of thinly sliced sharp cheese

2 thin slices of either sandwich pepperoni or salami

1 or 2 eggs

Coarse salt (I used Hawaiian Black salt because it’s pretty)

Layer the cheese thickly to hold the egg in place when it melts

Place the cheese thickly on the top of the flatbread. Arrange the asparagus on the top of the cheese in a square or rectangle so the asparagus will come in contact with the cheese when it melts to form a wall to keep in the egg. Place the pepperoni or salami in the center. Place the flatbread in the oven on a the stone for about 2 minutes until the cheese is melting, and carefully, with a wooden spoon, press down gently on the asparagus to be sure it’s stuck to the cheese. Break your egg(s) into the middle of the asparagus wall and bake another 4-6 minutes until the whites are cooked, and the yolk is done to your liking. Carefully remove from the oven with a big spatula, and sprinkle with the coarse salt. Serves 1 or 2.