Pea soup for a cold evening.

So it's May. Heard on the radio today someone saying that a third of 2012 is already behind us - incredible how fast it went! Still remember our skiing escapades, the crisp cold nipping at your skin, and the promenade by the lake covered in a thick layer of ice...

Winter is gone, spring slowly turning into summer. Soon there will be time for picnics, strawberry tarts and berry muffins. Can't wait!

Meantime, with the window open just enough to let some fresh air in, but not so much that the cold gusts of air get in, we are enjoying another Indian soup. Good for evenings like this - spring greens infused with a bit of hot spices, to shut that night chill firmly out.

Indian Potato and Pea Soup
serves 4, prep time 30min

2tbsp vegetable oil
5 medium potatoes, diced
2 large onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp ground cumin
4 cups of vegetable stock/bullion
1 red chilli, chopped,
1 cup frozen peas
4 tbsp of unsweetened yoghurt
chopped fresh coriander, to garnish

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan, add potatoes, onions and garlic, then gently saute for 5min, stirring constantly
2. Add ground spices, cook for another minute.
3. Stir in the vegetable stock and chilli, bring the mixture to boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pan and simmer for 20min, or until the potatoes get soft
4. Add the peas and cook for another 5min. Stir in the yoghurt, season to taste.
5. Pour into soup bowl and garnish with coriander. May be served with warm garlic bread.

This is definitely one of our all-time favorites. It's very refreshing, and leaves a warming sensation - its spicy notes softened and sweetened by the peas and potatoes, while the coriander and yoghurt add a discreet citrus/sour counter-point. Perfect for a long but still a bit chilly first day of spring. Happy Walpurgisnacht!

First days of spring - Primavera!

Spring is finally here! Maybe the weather still finds it hard to decide, whether it's time to add more sun, less rain and cut down on the gray tones but at least every day it's a bit more green. The colors of the grass are a little more vivid, trees and flowers slowly start to bloom. All that's missing is a nice shade of blue in the sky....

In the kitchen it's very spring-like, too. I came back home with a big bag of fresh asparagus that each day became a different dish. And today it ended up in a risotto....

Risotto Primavera
serves 4, prep time 40 min, cooking time 35 min

350g asparagus
2 tbsp olive oil
1 bunch of spring onions, ends trimmed, and sliced
300g green peas (frozen)
2 tbsp shredded basil
2 tbsp snipped chives
1 tbsp chopped mint
Finely grated zest of one lemon
1.7 l of vegetable bouillion
4 shallots
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
300g carnaroli or  arborio rice
25g Parmesan cheese
150ml dry white wine
25g rocket leaves


Prep works:
1. Cut the wooden ends of asparagus, then slice the stems into 5cm diagonal lengths. Heat half of the oil  in a non-stick frying pan, over a medium heat for 4 min. Add spring onions and cook for another 1-2min. Remove, season with pepper, and set aside
2. Cook the peas in boiling water for 3min, then drain and set aside.
3. Mix the basil, chives, mint, and lemon zest together in a small bowl, season with pepper and set aside.

Risotto:
1. Pour the stock into a saucepan and keep it on a very low heat. Pour the other half of olive oil (1tbsp) into a large pan. Tip the shallots and garlic, fry for 3-4 min or until soft. Stir in the rice, then continue to stir for 1-2 min over medium heat.
2. As it starts to sizzle, pour in the wine and stir again until the wine has been absorbed.
3. Start to stir in the stock - 1.5 ladlefuls at the time so it simmers and is absorbed after each addition. Keep stirring the whole time, to keep the risotto creamy. Continue adding the stock as above - after 20min the rice should be soft with a bit of chew in the middle - you should have a ladleful of stock left at this point.
4. Take the pan off the heat. Season with pepper (shouldn't need any salt). Pour over the remaining ladleful of the remaining stock to keep the mixture fluid, then scatter over all the vegetables (1+2 from preparations), half the herb mix (3) and half of the cheese. Stir together, then cover with the pan lid and let the risotto sit for 3-4min to rest.
5. Serve topped with a small pile of rocket and the rest of herbs and cheese scattered over.

This recipe comes from the April issue of 'Good Food' magazine - from the 'make it healthier' section. I must admit I preferred it over the heavy-on-butter-and-cheese alternative. In general, all risottos take a while and lots of stirring, but the result is a very richly flavored dish, that tastes just like the first days of spring. The lemon zest should, ideally, give just a discreet hint of fresh lemons, adding richness to the flavor texture without dominating the dish.