Spring onions | Canalside Community Food - Part 3

Our resident Recipe Meister, Rebecca Earle, is having a break during July, and so newly joined member Pip Smith has stepped forward to tantalise our tastebuds in Rebecca’s absence. Here’s Pip’s first recipe for us:

Beetroot, cabbage and spring onion in the veg share this week? It can only mean one thing…….slaw! I’ve been looking at lots of coleslaw recipes and it seems to me the general theme is either vinaigrette dressing or creamy mayonnaise/Dijon or horseradish. Pretty much anything can go into a slaw as long as there is a nice bite and balance of flavour in the main ingredients.

I’ve chosen a vinaigrette and will follow the rule of equal oil to vinegar. I’ve chosen not to massage the vinegar into the cabbage though this could be worth experimenting with to break down the fibres and change the texture.

Ingredients:

1 small cabbage
4 baby beets
2 – 4 spring onions
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Optional 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Method:
Cut the cabbage into quarters and remove core, then slice thinly.
Peel the beetroot then grate.
Trim and slice the spring onion
Put the oil, vinegar, mustard if using, salt and pepper into a lidded glass jar and shake.
Put the the slaw mix into a large bowl and toss with the vinaigrette.

For a tasty addition you could toast some seeds and sprinkle on top.

Pasta Primavera was (supposedly) invented at a fashionable New York City restaurant in the 1970s. The idea is to combine the freshest early spring vegetables with pasta, in a light, creamy sauce. This recipe is more of a guide than a strict set of instructions; you can vary the vegetables according to what’s in season (the original included mushrooms, tomatoes, broccoli and courgettes). You can garnish it with pine nuts. You can add red pepper flakes, or even a spoonful of pesto. Just don’t overcook the vegetables.

Pasta Primavera
Serves 4

Ingredients

¼ pound sugar snap peas, stems trimmed
½ pound asparagus, ends snapped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
¾ cup fresh peas (or use frozen)
¼ cup thinly sliced spring onion, white part only (or use shallots)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
12 ounces fettuccine or tagliatelle, preferably fresh
⅔ cup grated Parmesan, at room temperature
½ cup crème fraîche or whole milk Greek yogurt, at room temperature
3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1 tablespoon finely chopped tarragon or basil
2 radishes, thinly sliced

Preparation

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over medium-high heat.

While the water is coming to a boil, slice snap peas and asparagus stems into ¼-inch-thick pieces; leave asparagus tips whole.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add snap peas, asparagus, fresh peas and onion. (If you are using frozen peas don’t add them until later). Cook until vegetables are barely tender but not at all soft or mushy, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute more. If you are using frozen peas, add them now. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.

Drop pasta into boiling water and cook until al dente (1 to 3 minutes for fresh pasta, more for dried). Drain, making sure to save a cup of the cooking water, and transfer pasta to a large bowl. Immediately toss pasta with vegetables, cheese, crème fraîche (or yoghurt) and herbs. If it looks a bit dry, add some of the preserved cooking water to thin it out a bit. Season generously with salt and pepper, if needed. Garnish with the sliced radishes and serve.

Recipe adapted from Melissa Clark

Cold Chinese noodles with a spicy sesame sauce make an excellent lunch, plus they’re very easy to prepare.

Cold Noodles with Sesame Sauce
Serves 4

Ingredients
250g soba noodles (you can also use Chinese egg noodles or linguine)
2 Canalside cucumbers
50-100g spring onions, white and some green bits thinly sliced
50-100g peanuts, toasted in a dry pan and chopped
The sesame sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1/2 cup tahini (or natural crunchy peanut butter—in which case you’ll be making noodles in a peanut sauce)
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons soya sauce
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce, to taste

Preparation
Cook the noodles according to the instructions on the packet. Soba noodles should take about 5 minutes. When the noodles are al dente drain them and run them under cold water for several minutes to cool them off and prevent their sticking to themselves. Let them drain, and cool, for a few minutes.

Cut the cucumbers into little matchsticks. I do this by slicing the cucumber in half, and then cutting each half into lengthwise slabs (like lasagne noodles). Stack these slabs into a pile and cut them into little matchsticks. The goal is to have little sticks of cucumber roughly the size of the noodles, only shorter. If you find this too fiddly you can simply grate the cucumber coarsely. In either case, put the cucumber into a bowl.

Add the sliced spring onions and peanuts. Toss together and then add the cooked and drained noodles. Toss everything together.

Prepare the sesame sauce: mix all the sauce ingredients together. The tahini (if you’re using it) will resist mixing so you’ll need to stir it all together with determination. Once it’s all mixed add it to the noodle bowl and toss.

Serve and enjoy.

Mark Bittman notes that you can add cooked chicken, pork, beef, or seafood to the finished dish. You can also fry up litle tofu cubes and add those, as well, if you’re so inclined.

(Recipe adapted from Mark Bittman, The Best Recipes in the World (2005).)

Broad beans, bacon and spring onions: a perfect combination of earthy, lively and sharp flavours.
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Delia Smith’s Classic Broad Bean Salad
Serves 2, according to Delia. I think you could eat this all by yourself.

Ingredients
For the Dressing
1 clove garlic
salt
1 teaspoon mustard powder
2 tablespoons lemon juice (or a combination of lemon juice and white wine vinegar)
4 tablespoons olive oil
For the Rest of the Salad
2 rashers of streaky bacon
700g broad beans in their pods
2 tablespoons chopped herbs (parsely, oregano and/or marjoram are good)
4 spring onions, sliced
pepper to taste

Preparation
Prepare the dressing: crush the garlic with a little salt in a mortar and pestle. Add the mustard powder and lemon juice (or lemon juice and vinegar) and whisk in the oil. Set aside while you prepare the rest of the salad.

Cook the bacon until it’s crisp and crumble it into small pieces. Set it aside.

Shell the beans. Bring a small amount of water to a boil and add the beans. Cook them until just tender—perhaps 3 minutes is all they’ll need. Drain them and toss them while still warm with the dressing.

When they’re cool toss them with the bacon, herbs and spring onions. Season to taste with pepper and more salt.

(Adapted from Delia Smith, Complete Cookery Course.)

Below, please find:
Perfect Creamy Cauliflower Soup
Cauliflower & Pea Cream Soup
Toasted sandwich filling
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From Jo Wheeler, here are a couple of soup recipes using cauliflower, both taken from ‘Fit For Life’ by Harvey & Marilyn Diamond. She says they’re both really nice, and she adds, “Sorry if the recipes look quite lengthy – it’s mostly herbs & stuff, so don’t be too daunted!”

Perfect Creamy Cauliflower Soup

2 Tbspns butter
1 Tbspn olive oil
1 med onion – chopped
6-8 spring onions – chopped
1 clove garlic – chopped
2 stalks celery – chopped
2 med cauliflower (hooray!) – cored & coarsely chopped
1/2 tspn sea salt
1/2 tspn curry powder (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tspn dried thyme
1 tspn dried basil
1 tspn dried marjoram or savoury
6 cups water (though I find I often need to add more later on)
2 Tbspns light miso or 2 tspns veg bouillon
Freshly grated nutmeg to taste (optional)

In large pan, melt butter & add oil. Add onion, spring onions, garlic, celery & cauliflower. Then add seasonings, mix well & cook uncovered over med heat for seversal mins – stir frequently.

Add water & miso (or bouillon), bring to boil & simmer, covered, over med heat for 15 mins or until cauli is tender.

Puree until smooth, adding nutmeg if desired.

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Cauliflower & Pea Cream Soup.

5 cups water
1 med onion – chopped
1 stalk celery – chopped
2 spring onions – chopped
1 med cauliflower – cored & chopped into 1″ florets
1 teaspn sea salt (optional)
1 Tbspn white miso or 1 teaspn veg bouillon
2 cups fresh or frozen peas
1 teaspn dried dill (or 2 Tbspns fresh)
1 Tbspn fresh parsley -chopped
1 teaspn dried basil
1/4 teaspn dried sage
1/4 cup fresh coriander
2 teaspns butter

In large pan, bring water to boil. Add onion, celery, spring onions, califlower, salt & miso/bouillon. Return to boil & simmer, covered, for 10 mins. Add peas & herbs, return to boil & simmer for further 10 mins. Puree until smooth & add butter when reheating. Adjust seasonings.

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Jo says, “Mashed cauliflower also makes a surprisingly delicious toasted sandwich filling (honestly!!) but it doesn’t use very much of it at a time. Just steam some, then mash it with some mayo, dijon mustard, finely chopped celery & season to taste. Top with alfalfa, grated carrot, shredded lettuce etc & toast the whole sandwich in a sandwich toaster (buttered side out!) Yum!! (My kids LOVE these)

You could also just stuff in a regular sandwich, wrap, or pita & omit the toasting bit.”