Vegetable Dumplings

Place croutons in a bowl and pour in hot milk. Soak and leave covered for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel shallots and carrots and dice into small cubes. Rinse asparagus, peel bottom third and remove woody ends. Cut stalks into quarters lengthwise and then into small cubes. Rinse parsley, shake dry and finely chop.

Heat oil in a pan and saute shallots until translucent. Add carrots and asparagus. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in parsley and croutons. Add 4 eggs and season well with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Knead with hands until smooth. If mixture is too soft, add breadcrumbs. If too dry, add last egg. Mixture should be smooth but easy to shape. With wet hands, form 12 small dumplings.

Boil a large pot of salted water and add dumplings with a slotted spoon. Reduce heat and cook for 15-20 minutes.

Melt butter in a frying pan until foamy. Add sage and briefly cook.