Transform Your Easter Leftovers: Hot Cross Bun & Butter Pudding Delight!
April 28, 2024
Nomad Twist on a Classic: Berrylicious Pavlova!
June 1, 2024Hello, Nomad Larder family!
Spring is here, and it's time to celebrate those fresh, vibrant first crops from our gardens. Today, we're turning our bounty into a deliciously fun and family-friendly dish: Poached Turnip with Spring Greens & Pesto. Perfect for getting everyone involved in the kitchen and enjoying the season's flavours together.
What you'll need...
- 4 medium-sized turnips (peeled, topped, and tailed)
- A bunch of chives (chopped finely, save the offcuts and stalks)
- Flat-leaf parsley (chopped finely, save the offcuts and stalks)
- Fresh thyme sprigs
- Lemon balm leaves
- 250g blanched greens (peas, podded broad beans & chopped French beans)
- 1 bunch of basil (for pesto)
- 65g pine nuts (for pesto)
- Cold-pressed rapeseed oil (for pesto and cooking)
- 100g Parmesan (or veggie alternative) (for pesto and garnish)
- 3 cloves of garlic (for pesto)
- Sea salt and black pepper (to taste)
For the Pea Purée:
- 400g frozen peas
- Boiling water (enough to cover the peas in the pan)
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of sugar
- 25ml cold-pressed rapeseed oil
- Basil stalks
Let's Get Cooking!
1 Prep and Poach the Turnips:
- Bring 600ml of water with a pinch of sea salt to a boil.
- While waiting, finely chop the chives and parsley, keeping the offcuts and stalks.
- Add the peeled turnips to the boiling water along with the herb offcuts, stalks, 2 cloves of garlic, and thyme.
- Simmer until the turnips are tender (a knife should slide in easily). Remove and let them cool.
2 Make the Pesto:
- In a food processor or blender, combine 1 clove of garlic, rapeseed oil, 50g of Parmesan, basil leaves, and pine nuts.
- Blend to your preferred consistency, adjusting the amount of oil for a thicker or thinner pesto.
3 Prepare the Pea Purée:
- Use the water from poaching the turnips to just cover the peas in a wide-based pan.
- Add a pinch of salt, sugar, and basil stalks.
- Boil for about 8 minutes, then remove the basil stalks.
- Drain the peas, reserving the liquid, and blend the peas with a little of the reserved water to achieve a smooth purée. Season to taste.
4 Cook the Turnips and Greens:
- Scoop out a bit of the turnip from the top to create a hollow.
- In a small frying pan, melt some butter and brown the turnips cut-side down, then place in the oven for 6 minutes to finish cooking.
- In the same pan, add a bit more butter and the blanched greens. Warm them with a splash of water until hot and the water has evaporated.
- Mix in half the pesto to coat the greens. Season with salt and pepper.
5 Assemble the Dish:
- Heat the pea purée in a small saucepan or microwave until hot.
- Spoon the purée onto the centre of each plate, placing the poached turnip on top.
- Fill the hollowed turnip with the warm, pesto-coated spring greens.
- Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan and a touch of black pepper, then drizzle with a bit more pesto for a finishing touch.
Enjoy!
Gather the family and dig into this delightful spring dish. It's not just a meal—it's a celebration of the season and a wonderful way to make the most of those early crops. Cooking together and enjoying fresh, flavorful food is what spring is all about.
Happy cooking, and even happier eating! 🌱😊
Now It's Your Turn...
All you have to do now is try it yourself. Once you've done it, we'd love to see how it turned out! Take a picture, tag us on Instagram @nomadlarder and show us how you got on.
You can pick up the chicken jus required for it here. Check back soon more ingredients we have added!
