Pea and broad bean salad with nasturtium leaves

Name: Pea and broad bean salad with nasturtium leaves
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 4-6
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 kg broad beans (to yield 150g double-podded beans, plus a handful to garnish); 3 handfuls fresh peas; 200g sugar snap peas; 1 large clove garlic, finely chopped; Salt flakes; Freshly ground black pepper; Extra virgin olive oil; 150g frozen peas, refreshed in boiling water; ½ bunch mint, picked and roughly chopped; 5 small radishes; 100g soft goat's cheese; 2 handfuls nasturtium leaves; lemon, to serve; , to serve

Karen Martini

September 17, 2013

Pea and broad bean salad with nasturtium leaves and bagna cauda.Marcel Aucar

easyTime:< 30 minsServes:4-6

While not essential, the nasturtium leaves add a delicious accent to this spring salad with their distinctive peppery notes. You can order them through your green grocer or just raid the garden. Nasturtiums are easy to grow and are a worthy addition to anyone's edible garden - but be careful what you spray on them if you're going to eat them.

Ingredients

1 kg broad beans (to yield 150g double-podded beans, plus a handful to garnish)
3 handfuls fresh peas
200g sugar snap peas
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
Salt flakes
Freshly ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
150g frozen peas, refreshed in boiling water
½ bunch mint, picked and roughly chopped
5 small radishes
100g soft goat's cheese
2 handfuls nasturtium leaves
lemon, to serve
bagna cauda, to serve

Method

1. Blanch the broad beans for three minutes in simmering water. Lift out and immediately refresh in a bowl of iced water. Follow by blanching the peas then the sugar snap peas, refreshing in iced water each time - this stops the cooking and helps to keep them bright green.
2. Split the sugar snap peas. Double-pod the broad beans, leaving a handful or so of the smaller ones whole to garnish.
3. In a mortar, add the garlic, some salt and pepper and a splash of oil and grind to a paste. Add the podded broad beans, the refreshed frozen peas and mint and pound to a rough paste - you can add a little oil if necessary, but it should be quite stiff. Check and adjust the seasoning.
4. Put the remaining handful of broad beans, fresh peas, whole radishes and split sugar snap peas in a bowl, season, drizzle with oil and toss through.
5. Spread the bean paste across a large platter and arrange the pea and broad bean mix on top. Finish with the goat's cheese, nasturtium leaves and a squeeze of lemon. Spoon over some bagna cauda and serve - I like to serve extra bagna cauda on the side.
Note: Bagna cauda recipe available here