Biting Midges on the Sour Track
Based on:
TypeSide dish
Serves4 people
DateOctober 22, 2026
A swarm of spicy-sour asparagus and olives, like biting midges on your plate.
A side dish of spicy-sour marinated green asparagus and halved black olives, laid in a slanted row like a swarm of biting midges. The asparagus are the bodies, the olives the heads: a nod to the virus news, with tension from sharp flavors.
Ingredients
- 16 green asparagus spears
- 24 pitted black olives
- 2 tbsp capers
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 red chili pepper
- 1 lemon
- salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Method
- Trim the woody ends off the asparagus.
- Boil the asparagus for 3 minutes in plenty of salted water. Drain and rinse cold.
- Cut the olives in half.
- Finely chop the garlic and slice the chili into thin rings.
- Mix olive oil, white wine vinegar, garlic, chili, lemon juice and zest, capers, salt, and pepper into a dressing.
- Toss the asparagus with the dressing and marinate for 20 minutes.
- On a rectangular platter, arrange the asparagus diagonally in a row, as if flying. Place a halved olive at the thick end of each spear as a head.
- Scatter the remaining capers playfully over the dish.
Serving notes
- Serve cold or at room temperature.
- Place the platter so the row of 'midges' points toward your guest.