BBC Good Food - 04.2020

in season

April to July

in season

All year

round

easy seasonal

APRIL 2020 bbcgoodfood.com 57

Spring onions

I often think of spring onions as a two-for-one ingredient.
Thinly slice the green tops to use like chives, and use the
white part as you would a regular onion – they’re just
easier to prepare and quicker to cook. Handy if you’re
cooking for a small number and time is short.Miriam

Springtime minestrone

Chop100g spring onionsand50g asparagusinto
bite-sized pieces and put in a medium saucepan with
50g frozen peasand700ml vegetable stock. Bring
to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the
vegetables are cooked through, about 3 mins. Chop
140g cooked spaghettiinto small pieces, then stir
into the pan with215g canned butter beans, drained,
and1 tbsp basil pesto. Warm through, then ladle into
bowls and top with another drizzle of pesto.Serves 4.

Asparagus pancakes

Heat the oven to 120C/100C fan/gas^1 / 2. Mix

100g buckwheat flourwith100g plain flour,

(^1) / 2 tsp bicarbonate of sodaand (^1) / 2 tsp salt. Whisk
300ml buttermilk,1 eggand3 tbsp melted butter
together in another bowl, then gradually whisk into
the dry ingredients to make a smooth batter. Heat
a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add2 tsp
butterand2 tsp rapeseed oil. Halve18 asparagus
spears, tip into the pan and fry, turning, for 3-4 mins
until almost tender. Turn the heat down and scoop out
all but six of the asparagus pieces. Arrange the pieces
left in the pan into two groups of three. Use a ladle
to spoon a little batter over each group to make two
round pancakes with the asparagus hidden beneath.
Cook until bubbles appear on the surface, about
2-3 mins. Flip and cook for 1-2 mins more. Keep warm
in the oven while you use the remaining asparagus
and batter to make another 10 pancakes. Pile three
pancakes on each plate and top with140g smoked
salmonand150ml soured cream, a grinding of
black pepper andlemon wedges.Serves 4.
Asparagus
Plant in sunny, free-draining, fertile ground, such as
a raised bed. Keep it free of weeds and don’t harvest
for two years so the plant bulks up. Cut the spears
with a knife just below the soil in spring when
they’re 15cm high, then cut back to the base and
apply organic mulch thickly in autumn.Emma
emma’s tip
Sow seeds in summer or early autumn to produce the
tender stems and immature bulbs that are ideal for spring
recipes. These are great for ‘intercropping’, or sowing
between crops that grow more slowly, like cabbages.