Adam Frost of BBC Gardeners' World offers advice on growing your own peas and beans, which take the starring role in recipes from our food director Cassie Best
Broad beans
Homegrown broad beans are one of the first crops of the year. They’re easy to grow from seed, yielding green or white beans that can be used in salads, stews, soups and fritters. They don’t take up too much space and can be grown in the ground, in raised beds and in large pots.
Broad bean, herb & ricotta fritters
SERVES 2 PREP 30 mins COOK 15 mins EASY V ❄
600g broad beans in pods, or 200g
podded weight (or use frozen)
250g ricotta
4 eggs
3 tbsp plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp chilli flakes, plus a pinch
to serve (optional)
few springs each of mint, dill and
parsley, chopped, plus a few
leaves to serve
1 lemon, zested
drizzle of olive oil, for frying
drizzle of extra virgin olive oil,
to serve
1 Pop the broad beans out of their pods into a bowl. Boil the kettle, tip the beans into a saucepan, cover with boiling water and cook for 6 mins, then drain and leave until cool enough to handle. If using frozen beans, simply place in a bowl, cover with boiling water and leave to stand for 2 mins, then drain.
2 Use your nail or a knife to pierce the opaque skins surrounding each bean, and pop them back into the bowl. (You can use the skins to make vegetable stock.)
3 Lightly mash the beans with a fork – they should still have lots of texture and you can leave some beans whole. Add 100g of the ricotta, 2 eggs, the flour, baking powder, chilli flakes and herbs. Season with a pinch of salt and stir everything together to make a thick batter. The batter will keep chilled for up to a day.
4 Bring a small pan of water to the boil and gently lower in the 2 remaining eggs. Boil for 6 mins, then drain and plunge into cold water to halt the cooking process.
5 Mix the lemon zest and a pinch of salt into the remaining ricotta.
6 Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Spoon heaped tablespoons of the batter into the pan and spread a little with the back of the spoon into circles. Cook 3-4 at a time so as not to overcrowd the pan. Cook for 2-3 mins on each side until golden brown. Transfer to plates and keep warm in a low oven while you cook the remaining fritters. You should have enough to make 8.
7 Peel and halve the eggs. Spread half the ricotta onto each plate. Arrange the fritters on top, add the halved eggs and a few whole herb leaves. Drizzle with a little extra
