Annabel's Garden - SNOW PEAS, SUGAR SNAP PEAS AND ZUCCHINI

SNOW PEAS AND SUGAR SNAP PEAS

Snow peas and sugar snap peas are delicious eaten picked straight off the plant – the best time to harvest them is when the pods are young and tender. They have a sweet taste and crisp texture. The pea plant’s main growth period is during winter and early spring when temperatures are cool. Sugar snap peas can grow up to 2 metres high so it is a good idea to grow them against netting or a trellis. Blanch sugar snap peas and snow peas to set the bright green colour and crisp texture before adding to dishes.

ZUCCHINI

Zucchini are one of the easiest vegetables to grow and they just keep on producing throughout spring, summer and even early autumn. Make sure you keep harvesting them though as they can quickly turn into over-grown, hard, bland marrows.

While the fruit is popular, few people know what to do with the bright yellow edible flowers. In Italy they are stuffed with a mixture of ricotta, garlic, Parmesan and sometimes capers, then steamed or deep-fried. However, they can also be stuffed with many other delicious fillings, including cream cheese and chopped sun-dried tomatoes or cooked chicken mince seasoned with herbs, salt and pepper.

To stuff zucchini flowers carefully prise open the petals and fill the cavity inside. The stuffed flowers can be dipped in batter and shallow-fried. They make great starters. Below is a batter recipe that I use to coat my stuffed zucchini flowers.

FRIED STUFFED ZUCCHINI FLOWERS

Stir 3 tbsp olive oil into a cup of flour with a pinch of salt. Add 150ml tepid water and stir until smooth and creamy, adding more water if needed. Add some lemon zest or torn basil or parsley leaves as desired. Stand for at least 2 hours. Just before using, gently fold in 1 stiffly beaten egg white. Dunk flowers into batter to lightly coat and shallow-fry in a small pan in about 1cm oil, turning as they brown. Drain on paper towels and serve hot.

PRAWN-STUFFED SNOW PEAS

100g snow peas (about 30)
150g cooked sweet prawn meat, finely diced (or cooked chicken)
3 tbsp good-quality mayonnaise
finely grated zest of ½ lemon
1 tsp lemon juice
¼ tsp smoked paprika (don’t overdo it)
salt and grinds of pepper

Blanch snow peas – pour boiling water over snow peas to cover. Drain and cool at once under cold water. Split open on one side.

Combine prawn meat, mayonnaise, lemon zest and juice and paprika. Season to taste.

Spoon the mixture into snow peas to form small boats. Chill until ready to serve. Prepared snow peas will keep for several hours covered in the fridge.

Vegetarian Spiced-Egg Snow Peas

Blanch and split 30 snow peas as above, and stuff with spicy egg mixture instead of prawns. Mash 3 hard-boiled eggs finely with a fork and combine with 2 tbsp mayonnaise, 2 tbsp chopped coriander, 1 tsp each curry powder and garam masala and salt and pepper to taste.

LEMON CARBONARA WITH SPRING GREENS

The flavour of lemon in this simple one-dish dinner gives a bright freshness that is very appealing. For a more traditional carbonara, use cream instead of lemon juice.

2 bunches asparagus, trimmed
100g snow peas or sugar snap peas
3 whole eggs and 2 egg yolks
zest of 1 lemon and ¼ cup lemon juice
½ tsp salt and several grinds black pepper
1 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
400g dried fettuccine
2 tbsp butter
8 rashers (180g) middle bacon, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp chopped parsley

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to the boil for the asparagus and the pasta. Boil asparagus for 1 minute, remove and cool under cold water. Drain and put in a bowl with raw snow peas.

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together whole eggs, yolks, zest and lemon juice. Season and mix in parmesan. Place to one side.

Cook the pasta according to manufacturer’s instructions; do not over cook.

While pasta cooks, heat butter in a frying pan and cook bacon over medium heat until crispy. Add garlic and vegetables to bacon and stir-fry over heat until snow peas are just softened and bright green, 2-3 minutes.

Drain cooked pasta, return to the pot off the heat. Toss through the raw egg and cheese mixture to coat. Pile into a serving dish with cooked bacon and vegetables and sprinkle over parsley. Toss to combine and serve.

WARM ZUCCHINI & PRAWN SALAD

1 fennel bulb (about 130g), halved and very thinly sliced
1 tsp salt
80-100g raw prawn tails
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
4 zucchini, cut very thinly using vegetable peeler or mandolin
50g feta, crumbled
3 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
1 tbsp chopped mint
freshly ground black pepper

Place fennel in a non-reactive container (such as glass, plastic or ceramic) and sprinkle with salt. Leave to stand for 15 minutes then rinse under cold water until it no longer tastes overly salty. Place in a bowl.

Boil prawns until pink, 2-3 minutes. Drain and add to bowl with olive oil and lemon zest.

Blanch zucchini by pouring boiling water over sliced zucchini and leave for 1 minute. Drain thoroughly and add to bowl. Toss to combine. Cover and chill if not serving at once; salad will hold for a couple of hours. At serving time, toss through feta, lemon juice, pine nuts and mint and season with pepper.

SPRING LAMB FILLETS WITH COUSCOUS

Couscous and lamb can be prepared ahead of time ready for a quick last-minute cook. Buy a gourmet blend of garam masala (or make your own in bulk) or use a Moroccan spice mix.

Lamb
4 lamb backstraps (loins)
1 tbsp garam masala
salt and ground black pepper

Couscous
1½ cups instant couscous
1½ cups water
finely grated rind of 1 lemon, no pith
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp chopped coriander or mint
½ tsp salt
harissa (see recipe below)
stir-fried sugar snap peas, snow peas or zucchini, to serve

Mix couscous with cold water, lemon rind and salt in a microwave-safe bowl. Stand for 10 minutes. (This can be done several hours ahead of time and kept in fridge.) Rub lamb fillets with garam masala or spice mix and season with salt and pepper. Brown the lamb quickly over a high heat in a lightly oiled frypan. Chill until ready to cook.

When ready to serve, heat oven to 250°C. Place browned lamb loins on a shallow roasting tray lined with baking paper, allowing a little space between each. Roast for 5-6 minutes until medium rare. Stand for 5 minutes before angle-slicing each loin into 4-5 slices.

While meat cooks, finish preparing couscous: top with chickpeas and butter. Cover tightly and microwave for 3-5 minutes (or steam until hot). Uncover, add coriander or mint and a spoonful of harissa. Fluff with a fork. Adjust seasoning to taste.

To serve, spoon couscous on to heated serving plates. Top with stir-fried sugar snaps or zucchinis and sliced lamb. Spoon over a little harissa.

Harissa
Toast 2 tsp each cumin and coriander seeds, 1 tsp garlic flakes or 1 clove crushed garlic, ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp cayenne pepper in a dry pan for a couple of minutes until a pleasant aroma develops. Grind finely, then purée with the flesh of 2 roasted peppers. Season. Store in a jar with a layer of oil spooned on top. Chill. It will keep for a couple of weeks in the fridge.