Pea and Ham Soup

I was so knackered yesterday, after a strange headachy, virussy thing over the weekend.  All I wanted, in the middle of this crazy wet and miserable July, was soup for my tea.  And I didn't want to spend long making it.  Thank heavens for for the frozen pea, surely the cook's best friend?  Ridiculously simple: sweat an onion in a good knob of butter, then add a big bag of peas (450g / 1lb), just cover with Marigold stock, simmer for 10 minutes then blitz with a hand blender into a soup of verdant freshness.  Season with loads of black pepper, some mint if you like, and stir through some chopped ham (I had some leftovers from a gammon joint at the weekend).  Served with toasted cheese sandwiches, it was heavenly comfort food in 20 minutes.  Rubbish photo, I know.  Definitely an under a fiver job.

Spring Vegetable Risotto

OK, this was only half spring vegetable risotto, as I cheated and used frozen peas and broad beans.  But the asparagus was freshly picked (in the rain) this afternoon by hubby, and I used beautiful fresh sweet young carrots from Riverford.  It is made in the usual way - saute a finely diced onion in a good knob of butter with a whole head of finely chopped wet garlic (much milder than maincrop, don't panic!).  Add a cup of risotto rice (I like arborio for this) and saute for another minute or two, then add 3 or 4 tablespoons of white vermouth or white wine and the finely grated zest of a lemon.  Once this is absorbed, start adding warm veg stock (Marigold is fine) in the usual way.  I cooked the veg separately and added them in with the final bit of veg stock about 5 minutes before the end of the cooking time (I slipped the grey skins off the broad beans first).  Then, whilst still a little all'onda or 'with waves' as the Italians so romantically phrase it, stir in another knob of butter, the juice of half the zested lemon and a good handful of grated Parmesan, cover with a lid and leave to settle for a minute or two - what the Italians called mantecare or 'mounting' the risotto.  Serve in warm plates or bowls with more Parmesan on top, pour a glass of something cool and white (no, NOT a glass of milk) and settle down to watch 'The Great British Menu' on The Beeb.

Braised Peas and Lettuce in the French Style

Okay, so this may not be the best-looking dish in the world, but it sure tastes good. If you have really fresh peas, great, but otherwise froze petit pois will do just fine. I had some 'wet' garlic, so started th braise with a head of this, finely chopped, and a white onion, finely diced. Sweat these gently in a spoonful of olive oil, along with some bacon or prosciutto if you have it/want it. Add a bag of peas, and just a little stock, enough to get the dish cooking well, but not enough to swamp the peas - Marigold is fine. Then, take some little gem lettuce, halve or quarter them, and add to the pot. Spoon in a spoonful of cream or creme fraiche. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes untill all is soft. The peas will lose their vibrant green colour, but will taste mellow and sweet. Adjust seasoning, add fresh parsley and/or mint, and enjoy!

Baked Chicken, Lemon and Pea Risotto [#209]

The first challenge recipe from Donna Hay - another brilliant Aussie cook. The main challenge with Donna was choosing which book to major on (they are all great - stylish, imaginative and simple) and then which recipes to select (ditto). I settled on this one with slight trepidation, as previous attempts at other recipes for baked risotto produced results akin to savoury rice pudding....hmm. However, Donna's recipe was much more successful - leeks, risotto rice, lemon zest and juice, frozen peas and chunks of chicken - leftover from a roast last night. At the end, the interesting addition of chopped mint stirred in with Parmesan took it off in an unusual and tasty new direction, with nice al dente rice, and not at all puddingy. The reason the texture was better than other attempts was, I think, down to a higher stock to rice ratio than usual - about 1.5x stock to rice. Really nice recipe, and we'll make it again!

Chicken and Rice Salad [#104]

I must admit that I approached this recipe with a little trepidation - cold rice and chicken, anyone? Let me tell you, it was delicious! It needs a vibrant dressing, of course, to bring it to life, and Nigel's use of Asian flavours was just right - chilli, lime, nam pla. I added chopped coriander as well as the mint. Lovely, served with a watercress and tomato salad. Healthy, quick and cheap and leftovers for hubby for lunch too. As for the the sprouting beans, I picked up a little tub of sprouting bean and pea salad from Marks and Sparks which was perfect. Sadly, no online recipe - buy the book!!!

Chicken Roasted with New Garlic and a Pea Pilau [#82]

A whole head of lovely fresh garlic, boiled and skinned, is added to the roasting chicken near the end of its time in the oven and then mashed into the pan juices, which I also scented with fresh bay leaves. Very nice with the pea pilau that accompanies it. Lovely Spring supper, with glazed Chantenay carrots and purple sprouting. No online recipe available, I'm afraid, so 'buy the book'!