an open mind to the awful weather gave me broad bean hummus!

broad bean hummus

Deciding what to cook for Sunday lunch, I decided I wanted something fresh and summer-tasting, on the basis that is actually summer and the sun had come out. I bought a shoulder of lamb to stuff with something suitably summery; I hadn't quite decided but was plumping for feta, fresh oregano and mi cuit tomatoes and planning on serving the whole dish with my herby tomato and mint sauce. I was rather looking forward to what I thought might be a winning combination.

Not wanting to neglect the Sunday lunch accompaniments and wanting a dish that was suitably green – the idea of doing a sort of broad bean hummus immediately came to mind. Sadly, in the short time it took me to make the hummus, the sun had disappeared, the sky had darkened and the trees along my street were roaring as the wind rushed past.

I was served a double whammy when I discovered that I won't be cooking Sunday lunch this week . . . curses! I was really looking forward to lamb with broad bean hummus. Looking on the bright side, the hummus was perfect with some fabulousfreshly baked bread and a tomato salad, which proves there is always a silver lining, no matter what the weather!

Skill level: Easy

ingredients:
300g broad beans
3-4 tbsp olive oil
juice of half a small lemon
1 x small garlic clove, smashed
5-6 x fresh mint leaves, shredded
salt and freshly ground black pepper

directions:

1. First, cook the broad beans. I usually microwave them, but you can boil or steam them for about 5 to 10 minutes. Older beans, which are tougher, will take longer.
2. Remove the skins by squeezing them gently until they pop out.
3. Blend the beans with the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic clove and mint leaves. You may need to add a little more oil or lemon juice if the mixture seems too dry.
4. Adjust the seasoning.

tips:

• Use frozen broad beans if you don't have fresh ones.
• This hummus is a good way to use end-of-season broad beans, which tend to have a course, floury texture.
• This is a great filling for sandwiches or in a packed lunch.