Broad Bean, Mint and Ricotta Bruschetta

Broad beans (sometimes known as fava beans) have only a short season (end of May to mid-July) so it makes sense to use these sweet, creamy beans whenever you can. The inspiration for this recipe came from a holiday in Puglia when we ate raw, just-picked broad beans with some ricotta that we had got freshly made from a local farmer, so fresh in fact that it was still warm when we got it home. It was a memorable lunch. 

These long summer days lend themselves to this kind of food, a simple bruschetta with gorgeously fresh broad beans, creamy ricotta, finished with mint and some sea salt. It's quick to prepare, satisfying, with flavours that sing of summer. Oh, and to do it full justice, it really needs to be eaten outdoors, in the garden, on a sunny afternoon. Summer perfection. 

I'm sending this over to Karen from the wonderful Lavender and Lovage for her Cooking with Herbs challenge, which consistently showcases delicious recipes featuring a whole array of herbs. 

RECIPE

I'm not giving weights and quantities here as they're very much up to you but what you need are:

ricotta 

fresh broad beans

fresh mint

extra virgin olive oil

bread

First, prepare the broad beans. Remove the beans from their pods and boil in non-salted water (the salt makes them tough) for about 2 minutes. Drain and place in a bowl of cold water. I double pod the beans for this bruschetta but it's up to you. I quite enjoy doing it, using my nail to slit the skin and then squeezing out the bright green bean inside. 

Lightly toast whatever bread you are using under the grill and leave to cool slightly before spreading with some ricotta. Tumble over the broad beans and scatter with roughly chopped mint. Add a drizzle of olive oil and finish with some sea salt.

Pea and Mint Soup

A little morning ritual I've been enjoying in this gorgeous summer weather is having my breakfast espresso sitting on a bench in the garden, before heading off to work. I sip my coffee, listen to the birds, feel the sun on my face and survey the garden. 

The bench is next to my little herb corner so the coffee aroma from my espresso mingles with the heady smells of rosemary, thyme and mint. They all seem to be flourishing this year. Indeed, it was seeing that the mint was about to take over everything else that led me to make this delicious, summery, fragrant soup and although I was very liberal in my use of mint, it doesn't overpower the delicate flavour of the peas.

I am entering this soup into a few blog challenges this month:

Simple and in Season –  My Custard Pie (this month's host) & Ren Behan












No Croutons Required - Lisa’s Kitchen (this month's host) & Tinned Tomatoes













Four Season Food - Eat your Veg (this month's host) & Delicieux











Cooking with Herbs - Lavender & Lovage

Eat your Greens – Allotment 2 Kitchen

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RECIPE

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
4 spring onions
700 ml water
500g frozen peas
1 big bunch fresh mint 

Start by boiling the water (in a kettle if you have one). 

Heat the olive oil in a large pan and add the spring onions, roughly chopped (I use the white and green parts). Stir and cook over a gentle heat for a minute so that the spring onions just start to soften.

Add the peas and the just-boiled water. Stir everything together and simmer for about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Strip the leaves off the mint and roughly chop. Add to the soup and continue cooking for a further minute or two. 

Using either a stick blender or normal blender, whizz it all up until you get the consistency you desire. I like it with a bit of texture. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve with a few fresh mint leaves and a swirl of yoghurt or olive oil on top if you like. I usually eat this soup hot but it's also really nice cold. 

Pasta with swordfish, aubergine and mint

We have pasta most days. I know that may horrify the carb-avoiders among you but frankly, nothing can match it for taste, speed and ease of preparation and I get withdrawal symptoms if I go for more than a few days without. The best pasta dishes are almost always the simplest - think of pesto, made with basil, pine nuts and parmesan or a fresh tomato sauce, sauteed quickly with maybe a finely chopped shallot or two and served with nothing more than a few basil leaves and a drizzle of olive oil. 

One of my favourite combinations for pasta is fish with fresh herbs and vegetables and this swordfish recipe is one of the finest. It originates in Sicily where the use of mint in savoury dishes is quite widespread and it's a custom that I love. This dish is arguably best made in late summer when aubergines and tomatoes are at their peak but I tend to think of it as something I can (and indeed do) make all year round. It's a beautifully balanced dish of flavour and colour. Just please make sure that you use fresh mint - don't even contemplate using the dried stuff here.

I'm sending this to one of my favourite challenges, Herbs on Saturday, created and hosted by Karen from the consistently wonderful Lavender and Lovage although I apologise for not having foraged for the mint!

I'm also sending this over to Javelin Warrior's weekly challenge, Made with Love Mondays which encourages us all to cook from scratch.

RECIPE

350g penne or other short pasta

1 large aubergine 

olive oil

300g swordfish

1 garlic clove

160g cherry tomatoes, rouhgly chopped

a bunch of mint, chopped

salt and freshly ground pepper

Start by dicing the aubergines into 1cm cubes. Some people salt them before cooking to draw out excess moisture and bitterness but I don't bother - I've tried doing it and really I don't think that it makes a difference.

Pour some olive oil into a large frying pan, about 1-2 cm,  and when it's hot, fry the aubergine cubes until golden brown. Remove using a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel to absorb the excess oil. You may need to do this in two batches. Season with salt and add half of the chopped mint.

Discard the oil and give the pan a quick wipe. Remove any skin from the swordfish with a sharp knife and cut into cubes, roughly the same size as the aubergine. Lightly squash the garlic clove, making sure it stays intact and heat with a tablespoon of olive oil in the frying pan. When it just starts to colour, discard the garlic and add the swordfish. Fry quickly for 2 minutes, then add the cherry tomatoes and cook together for a further 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

In the meantime, cook the pasta in salted water according to instructions.

When the pasta is al dente, drain quickly and mix all together with the swordfish, tomatoes, aubergine cubes and the rest of the mint.