Smashed Broad Beans & Avo Bruschetta

I love broad beans! To me it signals the start of spring and warmer days.

Bright green broad beans bashed with salt, garlic, lemon juice and lots of black pepper is a thing of beauty. They are delicious tossed through simple salads or summery pasta dishes, as a toast topper, in soups, or even blitzed to make fritters and dips.

My first ever broad bean was eaten in London, where I lived for 15 years and have tried to grow them ever since we moved back. Finally, thank to the help of Johannes, I have my first ever bumper crop!

In my next life, if I have to come back as a vegetable, please can it be a broad bean. Those little beans softly nestled in the pods seems like just the right place for me.

In early spring the tiny broad beans can be eaten as they are with the white membrane, but as the season ticks along the white membrane gets tougher and needs to be removed. Simply blanch the podded beans in boiling water for 3 minutes, drain, refresh in ice cold water, make a small incision with your nail and pop the bright green bean out.

Serves 2

Broad beans can be paired with strong flavoured flavours like lemon, garlic, coriander and salty feta.

• 200g podded broad beans (from 1kg broad beans)
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• lots pepper
• handful coriander leaves, finely chopped
• one half avo
• 1 lemon, juiced
• pinch Spanish smoked sweet paprika
• feta, crumbled (opt)
• sun dried tomatoes (opt)
• 4 slices of very good sourdough bread
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt & pepper

1. Boil water in a small saucepan, add the broad beans, cook for 3 minutes, drain into a bowl of iced water. Drain once again, pierce the white membrane by making a small incision with your nail, simply pop the bright green broad beans out of the white membrane.
2. In a mortar & pestle or food processor (or with a fork) bash the garlic with 1/2 teaspoon of salt until a paste. Add the broad beans and bash until a rough, sludgy kind of paste. Season generously with salt, lemon juice and pepper.
3. Mash the avo with a fork on a plate, season generously with pepper, salt, half the chopped coriander, lemon juice and 2 pinches of Spanish smoked sweet paprika.
4. When ready to serve – Toast the bread until golden, drizzle with olive oil, spread the smashed avo liberally over the toast followed by the broad beans. Season with pepper and add the sun dried tomatoes and feta if using. Enjoy!