My recipes for Ashurst aim to celebrate seasonal simplicity. Recipes that hopefully everyone can make. Using the simplest, minimal amount of ingredients to create something tasty and nutritious.
I also hope that they help to use things up that might seem daunting or challenge you to try something new.
A key in nutrition is diversity with plants!
BROAD BEAN pesto
You will need:
small garlic clove
4 handfuls// 200g broad beans (de-podded)
zest and juice of half a lemon
large handful of parsley//basil
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 handfuls//40 parmesan finely grated
2 portions of favourite pasta
Method:
1. Peel the garlic. Gently steam with the broad beans for a few minutes or until the beans have changed colour or even split slightly (the larger beans might take a little longer)
2. Mix lemon, parsley, olive oil and seasoning in a glass measuring jug/bowl.
3. Once the beans are cooked, remove the outer skin of any larger tougher beans (I found most were fine left on), adding the beans and poached garlic to the mix.
4. Using a stick blender to blitz into a pesto - add more oil or even bean water if necessary.
5. Finally stir through the grated parmesan
6. Serve with pasta, topped with extra olive oil, parmesan and I even reserved a few of the smallest beans.
serves 2-3 pasta portions
Notes: the cheese can easily be left out or replaced with alternatives. Proof you can make a pesto with a stick blender but any food processor will work.
Alongside the highly nutritious content of these sweet gems, they are excellent soil nourishers.
Broad beans are powerfully nitrogen-fixing by the action of their root nodule bacteria. Through symbiosis, this crucial plant nutrient will then nourish other plants.
With the food and climate crisis, sustainably sourcing nitrogen from biological fixation needs to aid the diversion from industrial nitrogen dependence. A natural fertiliser!
Another ode to the broad beans.
see my reel below:
