Asparagus Pastries with Saffron Sauce and Tomatoes

For the asparagus: Peel the asparagus and remove woody ends. Cook in a pot of boiling salted water, a pinch of sugar and lemon juice, until tender, about 7 minutes. Remove and drain on a paper towel.

For the sauce: Peel and finely chop the shallots. Rinse the fennel and cut into slices. Heat the butter in a skillet. Add the shallot and fennel, and cook until the shallot is translucent. Stir in the white wine and bring to a simmer. Stir in the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Add the cream and cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve into another pot.

For the asparagus pastries: Preheat oven to 225°C (approximately 435°F). Thaw the puff pastry according to the package directions. Roll the puff pastry into 8 x 18 cm (approximately 3 1/4-7 inch) rectangles. Place 3 asparagus spears on each puff pastry rectangle and roll the pastry around the asparagus. Brush with the egg yolk. Brush a baking sheet with water. Place the asparagus pastries on top and bake for 8 minutes. 

For the sauce: Stir the saffron into the sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the lemon juice. 

For the tomatoes: Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water, rinse with cold water, remove seeds and finely chop. Season with salt and pepper to taste.