Asparagus, PSB and Chickpea

Another one pan recipe designed to really celebrate what’s available in the garden right now. Purple sprouting broccoli is a delicacy not to be missed, green garlic (for those who can’t wait to harvest that fresh garlic straight from the ground) and of course asparagus. Served with chickpeas, salsa verde, lemon and primrose.

Note, asparagus is a tricky ingredient to grow yourself. If you need to buy it in for this recipe then make sure to source locally and take care when looking for it. I was recently told by a friend that they found asparagus on sale in a supermarket that was dressed up in a display of union jacks. When she looked closely, the country of origin was Peru. I’m not saying it was on purpose and I’m probably legally obliged to say that this isn’t common practice, but don’t get caught out.

The Recipe - Serves 2

• 10 Florets of purple sprouting broccoli

• 8-10 Spears of asparagus (roughly a bunch)

• 150g Chickpeas

• Half a green garlic

• 3 Handfuls of parsley

• Lemon

• Salt

• Oil

• Optional: Primrose flowers

Step 1.

Firstly, blend the green garlic, parsley, salt, half the lemon juice and oil together to make the salsa verde. There isn’t a measurement on the oil because it’s up to you how loose you’d like it. Keep the blender running and gradually add more until you reach the desired consistency. This recipe makes enough salsa to store in the fridge for another meal (I suggest mixing it through a salad or pasta dish. If you eat oily fish or squid it’s also an amazing pairing).

Step 2.

Prepare the broccoli by removing any woody parts. Hold the asparagus together as a bunch and use a peeler to roughly shred it into ribbons. Remove any woody parts from the base and compost.

Step 3.

Heat a frying pan very hot and add the vegetables with a drizzle of oil. Whilst they cook for a minute, drain the chickpeas and shake off any excess water. Add them to the pan once the broccoli has cripsed a little and turned a vivid green. Remove from the heat right away and add 2-3 large tbs of salsa verde, tossing it throughout the ingredients. Garnish with seasonal flowers and a wedge of lemon.

Note: If you want to make this light recipe more substantial then serve on a slice of sourdough toast or with gnocchi.