It’s June and it’s one of my favourite times of year on the plot for fresh pickings.

Yesterday I dug some Red Duke of York’s and Sharpes Express, picked some peas, broad beans and a butterhead lettuce and headed home to figure out how we would eat them. I remembered the French dish of peas and lettuce, a classic way to cook fresh ingredients, and simply so the flavours stand out; a no fuss recipe. Alongside this I sliced the new potatoes and fried them in olive oil and thyme, and then added some sliced shallots, garlic and a dried red chilli. It was all served up with a poached egg on top. Perfect !

I’ve yet to discover a variety of pea that is actually purple, the pods yes, the peas no; that said, they still taste great

Petits pois a la francaise

This is Sophie Grigson’s version of peas and lettuce, it serves 4

INGREDIENTS ~

• 30 g butter
• 500g shelled peas
• 1 round lettuce, shredded
• 6 spring onions sliced
• 4 tablespoons of chicken or vegetable stock or water
• Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD ~

• Melt the butter in a saucepan then add the peas, lettuce and spring onions and salt
• Stir so that the peas are all coated with the butter, then add the stock
• Place over a low heat, put a lid on and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring once or twice
• Take the lid off, and if necessary, boil hard for a couple minutes until virtually all the liquid has evaporated
• Taste and adjust the seasoning, and serve

NOTES ~

• If using freshly picked peas, the cooking time is greatly reduced, about 5 to 8 minutes.
• I halved the cooking liquid, and found it was plenty

VARIATIONS ~

• Can add 2 to 4 tablespoons of creme fraiche once the stick liquid has boiled away, and cook for a couple of minutes
• I cooked a combination of broad beans and peas for this dish