Pea and Ricotta Toasts
The Northern Hemisphere's Spring equinox marks a time of change, I want my kitchen full of brighter Spring ingredients full of green and goodness.
The two solstices happen in June (20 or 21) and December (21 or 22): these are the days when the Sun's path in the sky is the farthest north or south from the Equator. The spring equinox, or Ostara, is also called the vernal equinox and has long been celebrated as a time of renewal, rebirth, and new beginnings. There couldn’t be a more apt time to turn a page onto a new season. As I close my chapter on Winter food I am looking forward to a brighter pantry of Spring ingredients. There is so much to look forward to as the days lengthen and the sun emerges: new season’s asparagus, broad beans, leeks, lettuce, glorious new potatoes, peas, spring greens, spring onion, watercress and wild garlic.
The garden is waking up and revealing green shoots, bulbs, buds and blossom. There is so much to see on our walks and each visit to the vegetable garden feels like a game of eye spy, to see what has grown overnight. The kitchen too has a new lively hum with the arrival of new ingredients to celebrate, cook with and enjoy.
March Seasonal List
What to buy and enjoy now
Vegetables
Cauliflower, celery, celeriac, cabbage, potato, purple sprouting broccoli, spinach, spring greens, spring onion, sweet potato, wild garlic
Fruits
Banana, blood orange, lemon, orange, pomegranate, pineapple, forced rhubarb
Recipe of the Week
Pea and Ricotta Toasts
Seasonal peas served on bruschetta style toasts to celebrate Springtime. This is the ideal recipe for sharing at gatherings with family and friends. Peas have to be one of my favourite vegetables of the season: both fun to harvest and then pod. My daughter and I love to do this together as it is both satisfying and mediative.
You can make this ahead and then assemble before serving; if you have any broad beans they make the perfect garnish to finish the toasts.
Makes 8-10 toasts
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot
1 garlic clove
150g peas
2 tablespoons ricotta
1 tablespoon Parmesan, grated (optional)
1 lemon, juice and zest
pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 baguette
fresh basil
Preheat the oven to 170C fan oven. Cut 8-10 baguette slices and lay on a lined baking tray. Toast in the oven for 3-4 mins until crisp. Turning for 1-2 mins on the reverse side. Rub each toast with 1/2 garlic clove, then drizzle with olive oil and set aside.
Sauté diced shallot in a tablespoon of olive oil for 3-4 minutes until softened, add 1/2 garlic clove crushed for 1 min more cooking, then set aside to cool. Cook the peas in boiling water for 3-4 minutes. Drain and plunge into ice cold water for 1 minute, to set the colour. Then drain again and set aside. Reserve 1-2 tablespoons of the peas, to finish the dish.
In a blender add the cooled onion/ garlic mix, cooked peas, ricotta, Parmesan, juice of 1 lemon. Blitz to a rough consistency. Remove to a bowl and fold through the cooked peas (you reserved earlier), to add some texture. Season to taste with fresh black pepper and a pinch of sea salt. Top each toast with a heaped teaspoon of the pea and ricotta mix; repeat until the mix is finished. Finish with fresh lemon zest, basil leaves and a final grating of Parmesan.