Sunday 7 June 2009

warm broad bean, chorizo and courgette salad - the stuff of summer...

I keep getting this seasonal food stuff wrong. I get out salad - it rains. I make curry - it's blazing hot.

And so it proved again with this dish.

'It's June', I thought. 'Time for warm salads, packed with my favourite summer veg and herbs! And a bottle of chilled white boozy stuff! Hell, we might even eat al fresco!'

But whoever decideth the weather said NO. You shalt not have sun. You shall not even have warmth. You shalt have a typical English summer's day. Damp, cold, and windy. But you're going to have to go ahead with your salad now anyway, 'cos you've bought the stuff for it.

'Fine', I said. So I madeth my warm salad. And lo, it was good.

It's one of my not-really-a-recipe 'recipes', but more a put-some-yummy-things-together ensemble.

So - saute some courgettes on a very low heat for about 20 mins until softened and slightly caramlised. Meanwhile, in a separate pan, fry off some chorizo (no need to add oil for this - the chorizo has plenty of its own) until cooked through and beginning to catch. Put to one side.

When the courgettes are nearly ready, add a couple of cloves of garlic to the pan, and continue sauteeing until the garlic is cooked through. Next, throw some new season broad beans into some hot water, bring to boil, and keep them on a rolling boil for about 3 minutes. Drain. There's really no need to skin them when they're this young and small.

Chop a generous handful of mint, basil, and lemon thyme. Add to the courgettes. Finally, add the broad beans and chorizo to the courgettes and garlic. Season. Add a glug of your best olive oil.

Serve with anything you like. On this occasion, I opted for buttered and minted Jersey royals, plus tomatoes and lettuce from the garden (yay!). Not necessarily a classic combo, but it was all very tasty anyhow (even if we did have to eat it inside), so who cares?


broad bean chorizo meal

yes, that IS a bottle of chilled white.

broad bean chorizo salad

mmm... chorizo and broad beans...

Who says it isn't summer?

23 comments:

Sylvie said...

Mmmhhh,that looks great. Sometimes here in England we just have to convince ourselves that it is actually summer by eating meals like yours. It works for me every time.

Manggy said...

Sorry to hear about the disagreeable weather! It can't be all that bad as you made a great salad in the meantime-- I love the veg you used, and I would recommend a healthy handful of chili flakes in this too ;)

Pia K said...

Away with the sausage and in with halloumi, then this looks wonderful! I love courgette and now I really must remember the broad beans bit, mmm...:)

Caitlin said...

As you say, there is no need to skin broad beans, especially when they are young and small. However, I always do because I really love the brilliant emerald green of the inner bean.

Darius T. Williams said...

chorizo - lol - yes! love it! Looks amazing.

aforkfulofspaghetti said...

Sylvie - it's hard work, sometimes, though, isn't it? Especially when it's pouring with rain outside!

Mark - funnily enough, I did put some in. Just forgot to mention. And a squeeze of lemon juice.

Pia - halloumi would work just as well, for sure

Caitlin - I hear you! I love that colour, too. But for the really young beans, it really seems more trouble than it's worth.

Darius - it IS! And so quick and easy, too.

Peter M said...

Chorizo makes it more than a salad...colourful and most tasty!

Nice to see you in the kitchen again. ;)

Heather said...

English summer days sound just like Oregon summer days. Way to pull a fast one on the weather by making a warm salad. I can just imagine the weather being all, "does not compute! does not compute!" just like the robot that Spock logic-tested into oblivion.

Chef Jeena said...

Wonderful salad, the zucchinis are cooked to perfection.

Su-Lin said...

Oh yummy - I haven't yet seen fresh broad beans around but perhaps I just need to look harder! I love warm salads like this - cold salads are overrated. :P

Johanna GGG said...

potatoes and salad sounds good to me

Hopie said...

I definitely know what you mean about always getting out the wrong food for the weather. Just when I decide to keep a bottle of rosé in the fridge for a picnic, it decides to rain all week. This salad looks like it would be good anytime though! I'm for anything with chorizo in it ;-)

Maggie said...

This looks like a very summery salad and pleasing to the eye too.

aforkfulofspaghetti said...

Peter - I know. Unforgivable, isn't it? I'm actually in the kitchen a lot, but can rarely get myself organised to take pics! Good to see you back here, too.

Heather - remind me not to book a summer holiday in Oregon, in that case...

Chef Jeena - thank you!

Su-Lin - look hard, they're worth it

Johanna - and to me, too

Hopie - chorizo's a bit addictive, isn't it? I love it, and it's nearish relation, morcilla

Margaret - yep, the colours work well together, don't they?

Cynthia said...

Sorry for not being around lately...

Sherry Truffle said...

i bought some fresh broad beans at the market yesterday specially so i could make this, it looked so nice! :)

Cheap Viagra said...

OMG!
This seems to be exactly what I was looking for, I mean, I was researching in order to find a nice recipe to prepare healthy, However, I think it is such a shame to realize that, it is way too hard to find as good stuff as the one writen by you.
Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that you made my day!

www.asturias-3d.com said...

For my part everybody ought to glance at this.

Cialis said...

That looks absolutely divine!

Generic Viagra said...

This is truly amazing I like the work that you have done.Thanks for sharing new Art.I think you will be
successful..

Elliott Broidy said...

Absolutely delicious. I will need to give this a try before the summer season ends.

Vermox kaufen said...

Oh, it looks so tasty. I've just had my meal and after these pics I want to eat again.

Tizanidine 4 mg said...

Love this food!