We all yearn for fresh food. And there’s nothing quite so vigorous, appealing & tasty as freshly harvested spring vegetables & salads. What is so wonderful about sprouting your own vegetable seeds & pulses for salads is that you can enjoy this spring-like energy all year round. Sprouted peas provide amino acids, fibre, minerals & carbohydrates, as well as vitamins A & C. Purple & white sprouting broccoli is also wonderfully nutritious, & being hardy, will survive frosts & snow. It is particularly welcome in the late winter/early spring, between Brussels sprouts & first spring cabbage. Choose very fresh, short & tender stemmed sprouting broccoli, or discard ruthlessly the fatter, woody stems.
Serves 4
Prep time 10 mins
Cooking time 10 mins
Ingredients
As much extra virgin olive oil, lard, ghee or coconut oil as you like
3-4 large handfuls of short stemmed, very young & fresh sprouting broccoli
150g sprouted organic peas (Nigel said you can use everyday garden peas)
A bunch of flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
Flaked sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
Method
Melt/heat your favourite fat in a wok or frying pan over a medium heat. I prefer a slightly caramelised ghee as this adds a subtle nutty flavour.
Throw in your sprouting broccoli & sauté quickly, tossing & turning; after a few minutes add the peas. Continue to toss & turn lightly for a minute or two.
Pour over any remaining fat & mix the parsley into the salad.
Season as you see fit. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Variations
Sauté some bacon & lightly cook your sprouted peas in its fat.
Stir-frysome coarsely chopped mushrooms, especially chanterelles – add some roughly chopped garlic, before adding your sprouted peas.
Garnish with coarsely chopped parsley.
Fry the sprouted peason their own in butter, just for a few moments, add a sprinkle of flaked sea salt & coarsely ground black pepper, & enjoy wiping out the bowl with a slice of sourdough bread.
Note from Nigel: I crumbled over some Greek Feta cheese & served alongside it, Binary Botanical, a 4% bevvie brewed with organic hop leaves in Billinghurst, West Sussex, which tastes like an intriguing dry Prosecco.
The non-alcoholic drink is also brewed from hops (Amarillo & Cascade), but only to 0.5% abv, by the talented team at Thornbridge brewery in Bakewell, Derbyshire.