07/04 GREEN PARK
The end of a long, long weekend draws to a close. The sun is setting on the last day of peaceful freedom before the world start grinding back in motion. After spending a blissful few days in the spring countryside - lavishly indulging in much wine and lazy rowing down a still river - the cold greyness of any city can be overwhelming. I always feel the need to bring a little of the country back - and this verdantly green soup does just that.
A mixture of hearty green vegetables - broccoli, sprouts and peas - are blitzed into a smooth green soup with extra green flavour brought in with a heavy handed helping of pesto and sweet wholegrain mustard. Almost cruelly i have also added a pig to this country bowl, bacon, not only to add smokey salt but to give the calm green some texture. A country weekend does wonders for the soul - this keeps is going for just a little longer.
1 Broccoli
500g Brussel Sprouts
500g Frozen Peas (can be fresh if you have the time)
100g Basil Pesto
50g Bacon*
3 cloves Garloc
1 tbls Wholegrain Mustard
400ml boiling water
Salt + Pepper
Olive Oil
What I did -
Keeping the country pace - this is a very simple and no fuss recipe. Firstly clean and divide half of the spouts and scatter them in a baking tray. Finely dice the bacon into small pieces and toss through the sprouts. douse lightly in olive oil, salt + pepper. Scorch them in a hot oven (around 200degrees) for half an hour until slightly charred and crispy.
Peel the garlic and lightly sauté whole with some oil in a large pot on the stove. When infused add the rest of the cleaned sprouts, the broccoli heads (and stem peeled and cut into chunks) and peas. Stir around the pot for a few minutes until they start to catch. The flavour of the vegetables mellows when liquified so best to get all you can out at this point. Add the boiling water and let come to a simmer for about 10 minutes until the vegetables are soft but not mush.
Using a stick blender (easiest) blitz the pan until there is nothing but a smooth green pond. Add the pesto and blitz again. Add salt and pepper now (to taste) and blitz one last time. Finally stir in the mustard, leaving the small grains flecked through the green soup.
Before serving mix the majority of the baked sprouts and bacon into the soup, leaving a small scattering to garnish. When the grime of the city comes too much, there is always a bowl of this to bring back the bumbling country soul in all of us.
JG
