Broad Bean Guacamole

I've been able to pick my first harvest of my broad beans, and it was such a fantastic feeling. All my hard work has finally paid off! I only have 12 plants which are grown in a 60cm x 60cm patch in one of my raised beds. Not a massive amount of room but looking at the bean plants (once I'd harvested this batch) I think I'll manage to get another two harvests at least with the amount of baby beans and flowers on there. Yummy!

For my first harvest though, as the broad beans are so young and fresh I fancied something light and summary so I opted for a broad bean guacamole. Although it was a close call with my broad bean pate.

Ingredients - Serves 1

85g Broad beans, shelled
2 Cloves of garlic
1 Tsp Lemon juice 
1 Slice green chilli
Himalayan Pink salt 
Black pepper
1 Small tomato (optional), diced

Method 

First boil the broad beans and garlic in water for 4-5 minutes or until you can pierce a knife into the bean easily.

Drain and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process.

Remove the outer skin from the broad bean, I always do this no matter how small the bean as I find it bitter in taste.

Put the broad beans and garlic into a food processor with the lemon juice and chilli and puree to a smooth paste.

Add the Himalayan pink salt and black pepper and pulse to combine the flavours.

Transfer to a dish and serve.

If you're using the tomato add to the broad bean puree and carefully mix in, so as not to break up the tomato pieces.

The broad bean guacamole goes really well with my chick pea & green lentil tacos

Edit post: Since posting this recipe, Shaheen of the fantastic Allotment 2 Kitchen blog has let me know about two challenges she is currently holding on her blog, one of which is called Eat Your Greens.

The idea behind this challenge is really simple, to make something with a green vegetable each month. Once you've posted a recipe you email Shaheen and a round up of all the entries will be posted on her blog before the end of the month.

Sleepy Sunday - Broad Bean Pate

Right then here goes my very first post of Vegan Mofo 2013 or indeed ever. 

Just to recap Sundays daily theme is "Sleepy Sunday", posts need to relate to Breakfast, Brunch or 'lazin' in bed' snacks. 

As you know I'm blogging about everything bean like as I have a glut of beans; runner beans, broad beans, string beans, purple beans and yellow beans, although these little beauties are far and between and hardly a deserve the labeling of a glut! The snails have taken a liking to these but on the positive side its meant that the little blighters have left my other beans well alone!

So what can you cook with beans that meets today's daily theme? Easy! Fresh broad bean pate on a french baguette, with a large mug of Lady Grey tea, perfect.

From this . . . 

    to this . . .  

This pate is very easy to make and so tasty, especially with the added olives, you really must try it.

Ingredients
100g shelled broad beans
1 Garlic clove
1tsp Lemon juice
5 fresh mint leaves
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
10 pitted green olives
Salt & Pepper

Method
Put the shelled broad beans in a small saucepan with the garlic clove and just enough water to cover them with and bring to a boil. Cook until tender, this will depend on the age of your beans, I only needed to cook mine for 4 minutes. Drain the beans and garlic and stop the cooking process by running cold water over them in a sieve.

When the beans are cool enough to pick up without burning yourself remove the outer skin, which can be tough. If you grow your own and pick the beans when they are young and tender you may get away with this step. However it is habit to me and something I always do, no matter how young and tender the bean is.

Add the beans and garlic to a food processor along with the lemon juice and a splash of water and puree. Add a little olive oil at a time and puree again until you have the consistency you like. You can always add a little more water or olive oil if you prefer a runnier pate. Transfer to a bowl.

Finely chop the green olives and finely shred the mint leaves and mix into the pate, stir to combine thoroughly and add salt and pepper if you require more seasoning.

Delicious!

It was that tasty I even plated up another batch with some salad for my tea!