Woodfield Weekly
We have the first harvesting of Broad Beans this week, as I write this on Tuesday afternoon they are still being picked and we are keeping our fingers crossed that there will be enough for all of our boxes this week….otherwise there will be more next week. A new crop of Cauliflower has come through together with some Summer Cabbages. If you order potatoes with your box, you will receive the first of this seasons new potatoes this week. This is earlier than we had hoped for, given the recent wet weather. Onions should be back in every box, which is also good news, following recent shortages.
So lots of new stuff, and more to follow over the next few weeks. The following recipes suggest a couple of things to do with the broad beans and the chard. For more suggestions there are plenty of recipes to be found on our website.
Broad Bean and Courgette Pasta Sauce
Preparation Time: 15 Minutes
Cooking Time: 25 Minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients
250g (8 oz) shelled broad beans
1 garlic clove
1 medium onion
3 tbsp olive oil
2 medium courgettes
300ml (1/2 pint) single cream
1 x 400g (14oz) can tomatoes
100g (4oz) mozzarella cheese
salt and pepper
1. Steam the broad beans for 10 minutes until just tender.
2. Slice the onion and saute with the crushed garlic until the onion is transparent.
3. Cut the courgettes into 1cm (1/2inch) slices and add to the pan. Cook for a further 5 minutes. Stir in the cream and the broad beans.
4. Add the chopped tomatoes and slices mozzarella and heat gently. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Serve with freshly cooked penne.
Rainbow Chard, Leeks, Garlic, and Pine Nuts
Serves 4
1 bunch rainbow chard
2 big leeks, white and light green parts thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup pine nuts, toasted in a dry pan
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Preparing chard is fun. As the stems and ribs take longer to cook, you have to cut them away from the big leaves. Simply run a knife along the side of main central rib. Cut the stems and ribs into ¼ inch slices and set aside with the leeks. Stack the leaves, roll them up and cut them into 1 inch wide strips. Rinse and drain them.
Using a large pan with a cover, heat the olive oil, and sauté the leeks, garlic, stems, and ribs until crisp tender. Add the chard leaves. They will fill up the pan. Cook them until they wilt enough to fit into the pan and allow a cover to be used. Cover and simmer them for a few minutes until tender. The water on the leaves should be enough to keep the veggies from drying out. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Sprinkle the pine nuts over the rainbow…..somewhere.
Pea and Broad Bean Risotto
Serves 2
200g peas, fresh or frozen
2 handfuls of broad beans, fresh or frozen
Up to 1 litre stock
Butter
1 tbsp olive oil
½ medium onion
1 clove of garlic
Stick of celery
180g risotto rice, preferably carnaroli
60ml dry white wine
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
A handful of mint leaves, plus a few extra small ones
If using fresh peas, cook 150g for about 3 minutes, then purée; if using frozen, leave to defrost, then purée 150g. Keep the remaining 50g to one side. Cook the broad beans until just done (about 5 minutes — try one to test), tip into a sieve and cool under the cold tap. Slip the beans from their skins and keep to one side.
Pour the stock into a saucepan and bring to a simmer. In another largeish saucepan, melt a knob of butter with 1 tbsp olive oil. Add the onion, garlic and celery and sweat over a gentle heat for about 5 minutes until soft. Stir in the rice until thoroughly coated in the butter. Turn up the heat a little and add the white wine. Let it bubble, then stir until most of the liquid has evaporated.
Add half the pea purée, then a ladleful of the stock. Cook, stirring constantly, until the stock has been absorbed, then add another ladleful and repeat. Repeat until the rice is cooked, adding the remaining pea purée and whole peas 5 minutes before the end. The process should take 17-20 minutes from when you added the first stock, depending on the rice and pan. The risotto should flow like magma and the rice should have texture but no chalkiness.
Remove from the heat and season. Chop the mint and stir in, with another big knob of butter and the pecorino. Cover and rest for 4 minutes. Divide between four bowls and scatter with the broad beans — and a tiny leaf or three of mint — then serve.