Pearl barley, lentil, chickpea & split pea stew with pumpkin, potatoes, & seasonal leafy greens, served with soft goat cheese & wild garlic emulsion, and pickled beetroot
In connection with Earth Day we did a collaboration with The Sussex Peasant, Locate Productions and Studio by Sea. Ed from Sussex Peasant dropped off a bunch of left-over veggies and ingredients in the morning. Jens then applied the Fundamental Principles of Healthy Tasty Home-cookery to come up with a dish bursting with flavour and nutrition. Below is the recipe if you want to give it a go.
The potatoes are not a primary ingredient, but there to help thicken the liquid and give body to the overall result. They are optional.
The choice of pulses and grains is also up to you. You need 40-50 g of pulses dry weight per person and about 25 grams of whole grain whichever you choose. It’s recommended to use soaked pulses (if whole) and/or split pulses as ones from a tin won’t give of starch to the stew and thus result in a thinner more soupy result.
For the base (for 6-8 people)
3 onions, diced
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
A handful or two of parsley, roughly chopped
1 heaped teaspoon of fennel seeds, toasted (30-60 sec on a hot pan until fragrant)
2 standard size tomatoes, blitzed or grated
1-2 tsp Italian herb mix
1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes or to taste
2 tsp nutritional yeast
2 tsp sweet (yellow) miso paste
1 vegetable stock cube or 1-2 tsp NineMealsFromAnarchy veg stock (this is 100% natural just veggies and salt without the yeast extract and maltodextrin found in most commercial types)
1 tsp roasted and powdered kelp (optional)
1-2 tsp sugar depending on the acidity of the tomatoes used
1 large, waxy potato, cut in 1 inch cubes
100 g green or yellow split peas (or mix)
100 g green lentils
100 g chickpeas (dry weight), soaked over night — (or one tin drained)
150 g pearl barley, boiled for about 30 mins or until al dente in salted water
About 750 ml water — adjust as you go along
Sea salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Veggies added
This can be any veggies that are in season or what you have around
300-400 g pumpkin, peeled, deseeded and cut in one inch cubes
One large bunch cime di rapa (rapeseed tops), blanched by pouring over boiling water, drained and roughly chopped
One large bunch whole leaf spinach, blanched by pouring over boiling water, drained and roughly chopped
Method
Sweat the onions in the olive oil until they start to turn lightly golden. It’s crucial for the final result that the onions are sweated down really well as the caramelisation process creates new flavour molecules that will form that base notes of the stew.
Add the garlic and sweat for another 5 mins.
Add the chopped parsley and fennel seeds and sweat for 2 mins.
Add the tomatoes. Cook for 15 mins.
Add the water and all the other flavour elements. Cook for 10 mins.
Add the barley and pulses and cook for about 20 mins before adding potatoes and pumpkin.
Adjust water level as needed.
Taste and adjust seasoning. You can add more miso and veg stock as well.
Just before serving add the blanched leafy greens so they stay nice and green.
Wild garlic emulsion ingredients
50-60 g wild garlic
30-40 g parsley
40-50 g soft goat cheese
30-40 ml olive oil
A good squeeze of lemon juice
30-40 ml water
Sea salt to taste
Blitz everything together until smooth and light green. Add more oil/water if needed to adjust viscosity.
Pickled beetroot
For the pickling liquid
150 ml apple cider vinegar
150 ml water
2 tbsp sugar
10 g sea salt
1 tsp cumin seed
1 tsp mustard seed
2 large beetroot, cut in half inch dice
Method
Bring all the pickling liquid ingredients to a boil
Add the diced beetroot and continue boiling gently for 5 mins
Leave to rest for at least an hour.
Drain well before adding to dish.