macaroni peas. kind of.

 

i’ve been craving macaroni cheese and to be honest, it’s not going to be long before i give into that craving as i have the remnants of a cheeseboard in my fridge, so have lots of lovely interesting cheeses to add a real depth of flavour to the dish.

however, along the way i was distracted by hugh fearnley whittingstall’s recipe for macaroni peas… this is a lovely vegetarian pasta dish which really shows peas off at the their best and is very quick and easy to pull together. much healthier than macaroni cheese too!

the choice of pasta is flexible – orecchiette for me – as is the choice of cheese – i used grated comte in the pea sauce and finished with a sprinkling of grated parmesan when i served it. i also added a little squeeze of lemon to the sauce to lift and brighten its flavour a little more. 

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summer leek and lemon pasta

 

i have a new favourite pasta dish. this lemon, leek and crème fraiche concoction, which is freshened up with herbs, contains peas and asparagus. or peas and broad beans. or something else entirely (i think courgette would also be good, in combination with any of the above) and seems to be very adaptable which is perfect for using up whatever happens to be in the fridge.

despite being creamy it’s wonderfully light (crème fraiche is a much lighter choice than cream) and perfect both for a warm day or if you need something a bit comforting to make up for the almost-daily, but thankfully intermittent, rain showers we’re getting at the moment.

give it a try and let me know what you think, especially if you use different vegetables. 

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nigel’s top ten - crab cakes and crushed peas

these crab cakes really appealed. i adore crab and little cakes made zingy with asian flavours – lemongrass, lime zest, ginger, chilli and spring onions – seemed like a perfect place to start with my top ten challenge. i was a little unsure about combining them with minty crushed peas – this felt a little bit like trad english flavours - but given how often mint appears in asian recipes i decided to give the recipe the benefit of the doubt.

so, how did i get on?

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courgette, pea and bean salad

i make versions of this salad throughout the summer – i am a sucker for buying peas and beans when they are in season and find that courgette is a good balance to all their legume-y goodness.

these peas and beans were actually from the freezer and i pulled them out to get them finished – there was peas, broad beans and soya beans all mixed in – cook them separately, starting with the broad beans so you can take off their tough outer pod while cooking the rest (use a slotted spoon to remove them and you’ll be able to use the same water for all of them).

the courgettes were sliced, tossed with a little oil and then placed on a smoky hot griddle so they could receive their charred branding and makes the dish look so delicious and taste so much of summer (this is the prefect bbq dish as it captures the taste of bbq’d meat and veg perfectly). a handful of rocket and a dressing of olive oil (i used some of the oil that my oak-smoked tomatoes come in) plus lemon zest (don’t use juice, it will turn the beans from a bright and vivid green into a sludgy colour) were the finishing touches. goats cheese or feta would be lovely crumbled through at the end, if you want to make the salad a little richer.

pea and pancetta risotto

i’m in a bit of a rut. well, not so much a rut, it’s just that i’m making variations of things which i’ve previously blogged so writing about something new is not happening all that often which makes for a quiet blog.

we’re still eating good food though. this pea and pancetta risotto was delicious and a good reminder that blitzing half the peas before they are added ( cook them briefly in the stock that i will use to make the risotto) is a great way to add lots of flavour. i did this with a pea and watercress risotto earlier in the year.