Broad Bean Bonanza!

I have been wrong! It turns out I do like broad beans after all. (Grandma would be so proud). After seeking out the broad bean recipes from What to Eat Now, I ended up using all the beans to make hummous! I have included the links for the dishes from the show, because they did look delicious.

Broad beans stewed with beef

Broad bean frutalia

I wanted to make hummous, but my husband used all the chickpeas in a bizarre frying/creating chickpea popcorn incident and I didn't restock for fear he'd do it again! So, I turned to the broad bean. It was a revelation. The broad bean tastes as deliciously green as it looks and the texture made perfect hummous. This recipe is a bit of guess work, because I didn't measure anything.

Broad Bean Hummous

2 cups, shelled broad beans (fava beans)

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tsp sesame oil (ideally you should use tahini paste, but I didn't have any)

6 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp salt

Blanch the beans in boiling water for 5 minutes, drain and allow to cool.

Remove the skins from the beans and put in a food processor with the garlic, sesame oil, lemon juice, cumin and salt.

Blitz. Trickle in the olive oil to form a smooth paste consistency.

Taste and season if necessary.

I suggest serving with warmed pitta (I'm a fan of Sainsbury's Free From Pitta), or tortilla chips as a pre-dinner snack, or as part of a mezze-style main meal.

Peas in a Pod

I realise that I mentioned that I was planning to have an organic veg box delivered some time ago and haven’t actually commented on it since. As my Husband and I plan to move to a different area (his job is going well, mine will be redundant in 2 weeks, so we’re moving to be closer to his workplace) I am wondering what will become of my vegetable deliveries.

I have been having fortnightly deliveries from Riverford Organics since October last year, and I have to say I have been delighted with every one. The produce is fresh, tasty and great quality, and the seasonal boxes mean that I have eaten a variety of vegetables throughout the year. Thanks to Riverford, my Husband learned that Brussels sprouts grow on stalks, like giant broccoli, not in rows in the ground, like tiny cabbage! I discovered how much I enjoy Jerusalem Artichokes, and have massively increased my consumption of kale, broccoli and cabbage. I have been forced to be imaginative with my menus and have avoided falling into a rut, buying the same vegetables week in, week out. Now that the summer months are upon us, the Seasons Box is bursting with tomatoes, lettuce, and peas.

My latest challenge is broad beans. I remember being a child on my grandparents farm in Norfolk, podding broad beans with my brother. Neither of us actually liked the beans, but enjoyed bursting open the pods and popping the fat beans out of their soft, furry homes. The smell of the pods on my hands instantly takes me back in time to that farmhouse in North Walsham. My Grandma always let me leave the broad beans on the side of my plate. I am less lenient with myself. My palette has matured since then, and I think I should be willing to try things that I may have disliked as a child. Valentine Warner’s “What to Eat Now” TV show this week featured Broad Beans, and he made a couple of dishes originating in Egypt. I will check out the BBC Food website to see if they are on it. Otherwise, my Jamie At Home recipe book does have some ideas for broad beans that I can try. I will endeavour to post any successes here at a later date.