Next New Zealand – September 2019

Edited extractfromGreenfeast
by Nigel Slater(FourthEstate,$50).
Photography

Jonathan Lovekin

Peas, pappardelle,

parmesan

SERVES 2

600ml vegetable stock

300g peas (podded weight)

300g pappardelle

25g parmesan

200g grated fresh young

sheep’s or goat’s cheese

1 Put the vegetable stock on

to boil (you can use water at

a push). Keeping a handful of

raw peas to one side, cook the

rest in the boiling stock for

5-7 minutes, depending on

their size.

2 While the peas cook, boil the

pappardelle for 7-8 minutes

in generously salted water.

3 Put the peas and 150ml of

their cooking liquor into a

blender and process till

smooth, introducing more

stock as necessary to produce

a thin, brightly flavoured

sauce. Drain the pasta and

return to the pan, pour in

the pea sauce, scatter over

the parmesan and fold in.

Check the seasoning. Divide

between two deep plates.

4 Break the cheese into large

pieces, scatter over the pasta

Greenfeast is a collection of what I eat

when I finish work every day, the casual

yet spirited meals with which I sustain

myself and whoever else is around

with the reserved raw peas

and serve.

Tips

Start the pea sauce before

putting the pasta on. It will

hold in good condition while

the pasta cooks. If you’re

using fresh peas, check them

every minute or so. They can

take anything from four

minutes to much longer

to become tender; much

depends on their age and size.

If you’re using frozen peas,

they should be done in

4-5 minutes. Process the peas

and their stock in two goes,

rather than risk overfilling

the blender. (Obvious, I know,

but it’s so easy to.)

You can make a similar

sauce with broad beans.

They’re more starchy than

peas, so be prepared to add

a little more vegetable stock

during blending.

Asparagus,

puff pastry

MAKES 6 SMALL TARTS

8 asparagus spears

250g puff pastry

1 egg, beaten

150g goat’s cheese

150g cream cheese

1 tsp fresh thyme leaves

1 Set the oven at 200°C. Put

an upturned baking sheet

in the oven. Bring a medium

pan of water to the boil. Trim

the asparagus, then cut each

spear into three short lengths.

2 Drop the asparagus into

the pan and let it boil for

2 minutes, before lifting out

with a slotted spoon and

refreshing in iced water.

3 Roll the pastry out to

a rectangle measuring

34 x 22cm. Cut the rectangle

into 6 equal squares. Place

the squares on a lined baking

sheet. Using the tip of a knife,

score a square 1cm inside

each. Brush a little beaten

egg around the outside edge

of each pastry square.

4 Drain the asparagus on

kitchen paper. Crush the

goat’s cheese with a fork and

fold in the cream cheese and

thyme. Divide the mixture

between the 6 squares of

pastry and put 4 asparagus

pieces on each. Put the

baking sheet on top of the

preheated sheet already in

the oven, then bake for

25-30 minutes, until the tarts

are golden. Eat immediately.

5 I reckon on 2 of these

little tarts per portion

and perhaps a grain salad

on the side.

Give the contents of your

kitchen cupboards a

seasonal refresh for a

tonal effect on the table.

pring

updates

Le Creuset mini casserole,

$44, from Smith &

Caughey’s

Haven

Kitchen utensils,

$10 each, from

Farmers

Città

glasses,

$12.90

each

Emile Henry

ramekin set,

$20, from

Farmers

A La Carte bowl,

$13, from Farmers

SEPTEMBER 2019 / NEXT 133

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