richard Readers who feel more comfortable living their lives to a strict set of arbitrary rules will be pleased to discover this recipe adheres to the Four ‘S’ Dictum of Culinary Correctness:
1. Fresh peas are currently available – Seasonal.
2. Our balcony is resplendent with home-grown mint – Sustainable.
3. It’s eaten cold and it’s hot outside – Summery.
4. It’s runny and can be eaten with a spoon – Soupy.
A potential fifth ‘S’ could have been saving, scrimping, skimping, sparing or stingy as this soup cleverly and economically uses the entire pea intactus – pod and all.
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Skill level: easy (pea)sy
Serves: 2
Ingredients
- fresh peas in the pod – 450g (1lb)
- good vegetable stock – 750ml
- a good sprig of fresh mint
- sea salt – ½tsp
- sugar – ½tsp
- single cream – 150ml
Pod the peas and cook the pods in half the stock for 5 minutes.
Liquidise and pass through a sieve.
Keep the resulting liquid and throw away the pod debris.
Cook the peas, mint, salt, sugar in the rest of the stock for 3 minutes.
Discard the mint and liquidise.
Combine with the pea pod liquid, check and adjust the seasoning and leave to cool.
Stir in the cream and refrigerate.
Serve with a few mint leaves as decoration.
Verdict: A light refreshing cooling soup packed to the rafters with sweet summertime peaness.
Drink: Locally sourced cans of Lech – Please drink responsibly.
Entertainment: Trying to decypher the manifold squeaks of a 3 week old… and World Cup shame.
