Pea & pancetta
Summer has been peeking very shyly through the clouds over the past week and the fields around the village are finally edged with blossom and catkins. It seems so late this year, you can hear the relief in the birdsong in the morning and see it in the mad antics of the rabbits and hares I watch from the train on the way to work. It's not just us humans who've been longing for warmer weather! I've started some plans for summer adventures, more on which I hope to report later and have been busy Spring cleaning and tidying the garden (and staring rather dejectedly at the amount of work needed on the allotment).
With less time for cooking I have been trying to be creative with the usual stalwarts that are always in my fridge and freezer. This Spring green soup is easy to knock up in a few minutes when you back aches from gardening.
Pea and Pancetta Soup
1 onion, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
1-2 sticks of celery, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
750ml stock (cube, homemade or water if nothing else)
200-300g frozen petit pois
handful of parsley, chopped
100g pancetta, roughly chopped
Sweat the chopped onion in olive oil for at least 8-10 minutes until translucent, then add the garlic and celery and cook gently for a further 3-4 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a slow simmer, add the frozen peas and bring back to a simmering point before taking off the heat, adding the parsley and blitzing with a blender. Season to taste, although you won't need much, if any, salt if using the pancetta. Cook the peas for the briefest of time to keep their colour bright. Fry the pancetta in a hot pan without any oil so that the cubes crisp up and it releases some fat in the pan. Serve the soup in white bowls to show off the green and add the crisped pancetta and a little drizzle of pork fat as a garnish to stir into the soup at the table. If you want to keep this vegetarian, add some smoked tofu cubes fried until crisp or some pumpkin seeds roasted with a little soy sauce. The salty contrast works well with the sweet pea soup.
With less time for cooking I have been trying to be creative with the usual stalwarts that are always in my fridge and freezer. This Spring green soup is easy to knock up in a few minutes when you back aches from gardening.
Pea and Pancetta Soup
1 onion, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
1-2 sticks of celery, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
750ml stock (cube, homemade or water if nothing else)
200-300g frozen petit pois
handful of parsley, chopped
100g pancetta, roughly chopped
Sweat the chopped onion in olive oil for at least 8-10 minutes until translucent, then add the garlic and celery and cook gently for a further 3-4 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a slow simmer, add the frozen peas and bring back to a simmering point before taking off the heat, adding the parsley and blitzing with a blender. Season to taste, although you won't need much, if any, salt if using the pancetta. Cook the peas for the briefest of time to keep their colour bright. Fry the pancetta in a hot pan without any oil so that the cubes crisp up and it releases some fat in the pan. Serve the soup in white bowls to show off the green and add the crisped pancetta and a little drizzle of pork fat as a garnish to stir into the soup at the table. If you want to keep this vegetarian, add some smoked tofu cubes fried until crisp or some pumpkin seeds roasted with a little soy sauce. The salty contrast works well with the sweet pea soup.
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