Agretti is one of those spring vegetables that seems to only last about a week or two at the market. The growing window for this saltwort member is extremely short, but unlike its cousin, sea beans (also known as sea asparagus or samphire), it can be grown in a garden. Sea beans only grow near the shores of ocean bays and inlets. Both are halophytes, which means they are salt-tolerant plants and can be irrigated with salt water.
Crunchy, grassy, and slightly salty, agretti is perfect simply sautéed or steamed and hit with lemon and garlic. It’s one of those vegetables that just makes you feel good eating it.
I leaned into its Italian name and popularity with this frittata. Dried porcinis, like all mushrooms, are packed with flavor. Once rehydrated, they can be treated like any fresh mushroom with the additional bonus of having a deeply flavorful mushroom liquid you can use.
If you’re in New York, Lani’s Farm has some incredible agretti at the market right now.