Spring is about new beginnings. It’s as good a time as any to turn over a new leaf in the kitchen, and shift away from winter’s carb-fest of roots and tubers and move on to fresher produce. In my fridge right now, there are tiny sweet peas, handsome spears of asparagus, crisp lettuces and robust sprouting broccoli. They’re all best eaten raw, where possible, or at most barely cooked – just a light blanch or steam will do.
Asparagus with soba noodles and miso dressing (pictured top)
Shaving the asparagus with a vegetable peeler makes a small bunch go a long way. Eat this salad for lunch or serve as a side with grilled salmon for dinner.
Prep 15 min
Cook 15 min
Serves 4
200g soba noodles
2 bunches thick asparagus, trimmed
4 spring onions, cut into thirds and finely sliced lengthways
100g radishes, very finely sliced
¼ cucumber, cut in half lengthways, deseeded and sliced
1 long green chilli, finely sliced diagonally (I like the heat, but you can deseed if you prefer)
A handful of coriander leaves, picked
3 tbsp pickled ginger, sliced (optional)
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
40g cashew nuts, toasted
For the dressing
1 tbsp shiro miso
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp pickle juice from the pickled ginger (optional)
Juice of ½ lime, or more, to taste
1 tbsp sesame oil
Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions, then refresh under cold water, drain well and put on a platter.
Using a vegetable peeler, shave the asparagus into long, thin strips straight over the noodles. Add the spring onions, radishes, cucumber, chilli, coriander and the pickled ginger, if using,
Whisk all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl, then season to taste. Pour the dressing over the noodles and vegetables, and toss gently to coat. Scatter over the seeds and nuts, and serve straight away.
Grilled cos lettuce and peas with feta
Barbecuing or griddling a lettuce will take your salad from ordinary to extraordinary, giving the whole dish a smoky, inviting warmth. You could also use little gem here or invite other wispy leaves to the mix, such as dandelion, pea shoots or watercress.
Prep 10 min
Cook 20 min
Serves 4
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
150g sugar snap peas
150g frozen peas, defrosted
2 heads cos lettuce
Olive oil, for drizzling
25g mint (a small bunch), leaves picked and torn
For the dressing
1 lemon, halved
100ml extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, peeled and very finely grated
Salt and black pepper
100g feta, crumbled
Bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Blanch the sugar snap peas until bright green and just tender, adding the frozen peas for the last 30 seconds of cooking. Drain and refresh in iced water.
Heat a griddle to a high heat. Separate the first few layers of leaves from the lettuce, tear into small pieces and transfer to a bowl. Now quarter the lettuce hearts, drizzle with oil, season to taste and grill the cut sides for a couple of minutes, or until lightly charred; set aside to cool.
For the dressing, grill the cut sides of the lemon until dark and charred.
In a clean jam jar, shake the oil, the juice from the charred lemon and the garlic until combined. Season to taste, then add the feta and refrigerate until needed.
Drain the sugar snaps and peas, and add to the bowl with the lettuce. Scatter in the mint. To serve, toss with the feta dressing.
Purple sprouting broccoli and ricotta traybake pizza
This spongy dough is more like focaccia than pizza, and even more delicious for it. Ideal for a spring picnic – if you can find a patch of sunshine.
Prep 15 min
Rest 2 hr
Chill 2 hr
Cook 1 hr 30 min
Serves 4
7g dried yeast
1 tsp honey
1 tsp sea salt
125ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
425g tipo ‘00’” flour, plus extra for dusting
2 tbsp semolina
For the tomato sauce
2 tbsp olive oil
2 fat garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 fat pinch chilli flakes
1 tbsp dried oregano
3 anchovy fillets, finely chopped (optional)
1 tbsp basil stems, finely chopped
400g tin plum tomatoes
1 fat pinch caster sugar
1 tsp red-wine vinegar
Sea salt and black pepper
For the topping
200g purple sprouting broccoli, trimmed
90g good olives
250g mozzarella
200g ricotta
Zest of 1 lemon
A few basil leaves
2 tbsp toasted pine nuts
Put the yeast, honey, sea salt and 250ml lukewarm water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook and mix to combine. Add 50ml oil and half the flour, and mix until smooth. Cover and leave to stand in a warm place for 10 minutes, or until bubbling.
Add the remaining flour and knead until smooth and elastic, adding a little extra water if necessary, to form a soft dough. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, turn to coat, then cover with a damp cloth and leave to stand for 45 minutes, or until doubled in size. Knock back the dough, then refrigerate for two hours.
Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce. In a frying pan, heat the olive oil, add the garlic and fry until fragrant. Add the chilli flakes, oregano, anchovies, if using, and basil stems, and fry briefly. Add the tomatoes and cook over a low heat, crushing them with the back of a wooden spoon to make a sauce, then add the sugar and vinegar. Cook for 20 minutes, until thickened and reduced. Season then set aside to cool.
Blanch the broccoli in boiling salted water for one minute, then drain and refresh in ice-cold water.
Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Drizzle a little oil over the base of a 35cm x 25cm oven tray, and sprinkle over the semolina. Tip out the dough on to a floured surface and knead to knock out the air. Roll into a rough rectangle and lay over the oiled tray, stretching and coaxing it so the base of the tray is more or less covered. Leave to rest for an hour, then stretch again if it has shrunk. Spread the tomato sauce over the base then lay over the broccoli and olives, and tear over the mozzarella. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven, spoon over the ricotta and lemon zest, and scatter with basil leaves and pine nuts, then cut into slices and serve.
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