SPRING MINESTRONE

Ingredients

6 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed

2 leeks, washed and finely shredded

300g purple sprouting broccoli, trimmed and chopped

Half a cauliflower, broken into small florets

2 good handfuls of curly kale

1 small green cabbage, finely shredded

3 tbsp olive oil

900 ml vegetable stock

100 ml dry white wine

Salt and pepper

Good handful of fresh herbs, finely chopped

3 tbsp crème fraiche

Method

Heat the oil and add the leeks and garlic. Cook gently for 2-3 minutes.

Trim the curly kale by taking the leaves off the stalks and then shred the leaves. Split the rest of the vegetables into 2 mixing bowls.

Add the first bowl to the leek mixture and cook for 3 minutes. Add the stock and wine and season well. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 20 minutes. Add the crème fraiche, stir in and whiz until smooth with a handblender.

Add the rest of the vegetables and the herbs and simmer for a further 5 minutes until just tender.

ROAST BEETROOT COUSCOUS WITH HERBS AND SEEDS

Ingredients

3 beetroot

200g couscous

30g pumpkin seeds

30g sunflower seeds

1 tbsp chilli jam

Zest of 1 orange

1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parley

1 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives

Salt and pepper

Method

Heat the oven to 200C/Gas mark 6. Scrub the beetroot and wrap in foil. Bake in the oven until tender and cool. Peel the beetroot and chop into tiny dice.

Dry fry the pumpkin and sunflower seeds until they turn golden. Cool.

Put the couscous in a large bowl and add just under twice its volume of water. Allow the couscous to soak up the water, forking it through from time to time.

Season well and add the orange zest, seeds and herbs. Stir in the chilli jam and the beetroot cubes. Serve at room temperature.

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