This recipe has all the flavours of summer vegetables, is beautifully light and it doesn't need any stock. You can change the vegetables to what’s in the garden or available. Especially once broad beans and peas are in season, these make a lovely addition.
All the vegetables need to be cut to a similar size so they cook in the same time. Norfolk cheese maker Katherine Temple makes a wonderful hard cheese similar to Parmesan which works well in this recipe.
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 medium onion finely chopped
1 garlic clove crushed
1 small potato finely diced
1 medium carrot finely diced
1 leek, medium outer leaves removed and finely diced or 4 spring onions
1 celery stick finely sliced
1 large courgette cut length ways and finely sliced
1 small turnip peeled and finely diced
1 tomato peeled, deseeded and diced
250ml water
a large pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tbsp of fresh pesto
Grated, Mrs Temples Alpine cheese or Parmesan to serve
In a large saucepan or sauté pan, soften the onions in the butter. Add the garlic, carrots, turnips and the potatoes and cook for a further 3 minutes. Then add the leek and celery, cook for a couple of minutes and lastly add the tomato and courgette. After a minute pour in the water and boil for 5 minutes until the vegetables are totally cooked. Remove from the heat, season and add the pesto and serve with finely grated cheese to add as you wish.
PESTO
50 g Basil leaves (this is approx. one pot as sold in the supermarket)
3 cloves garlic
20g pine nuts
150ml light olive oil
50g grated Mrs Temples Alpine cheese or Parmesan (the trick here is to whiz pieces of cheese in the food processor-much quicker!)
Process all ingredients until smooth and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. This will keep in the fridge for up to four days.
Phone 01953 717670 Mobile 07850 936058 Email cooking@marykemp.net