Italy Puglia cooking vacations and wine tours

It’s finally “primavera” Spring in Puglia, Southern Italy!
So we can finally have all the delicious vegetables that we only find in April: the marvellous fresh fava (broad) beans, the sweet little green peas and the tasty asparagus!! For our Easter menu, in addition to the tradional baked lamb with rosmarin and roasted potatoes, we are going to have a fresh Fava (broad) bean cream for appetizer. The recipe includes (for 4 servings): 400 grams fresh fava/broad beans; 100 grams fresh green peas; 50 grams small potatoes; 30 grams leek; half litre clear broth; 1 tea spoon salt; a pinch black pepper; 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 100 grams asparagus; 50 grams fresh fava/broad beans (for decoration).

For the fava cream: slice the leek and soften it in a pan with a few drops of extra virgin olive oil, for a few minutes. Add the fresh fava beans, the green peas and the potatoes. Stir and let them cook for a few minutes while adding some clear broth. Add the salt and pepper and keep stirring. Cook for about 30minutes and them mix everything with a blender until you get a very smooth cream. Add 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, (it is better to add it raw at the end of your cooking, so you keep all the olive oil flavors!!).

For the asparagus decoration: in another pan cook the asparagus reduced in cubes, the 50 grams of fava beans and a table spoon of extra virgin olive oil. Serve the fava bean cream warm, in a bowl. Decorate with the asparagus.

And you, what’s going to be your Easter menu? Share with us your recipes and menu.