Asparagus, Broad Bean & Feta Pesto Dip

Ok so that is a long title, but I did want to fit in all the yummy things I put in this.

I intended to make it a version of this Asparagus Pesto but I didn't have quite enough Asparagus and some broad beans, and some feta. So I whizzed it all up with some oil, garlic and pinenuts to make this delicious pesto/dip.

The asparagus season is nearly over, so you'll have to be quick to find some before it goes out of season. 

I served it stirred into spaghetti but I think it would make a really lovely dip, or an alternative to guacamole perhaps? It does have raw garlic in it so maybe if you are serving it for dipping a garlic oil or roasted garlic might take away the pungency a bit, it depends if you are in company afterwards.

This is quite a flexible recipe, you can add and take away things and work to the consistency you get as you make it.

Asparagus, Broad Bean and Feta Pesto Dip

5-6 stalks of Asparagus, cut into about 1 inch pieces.
about 5-6 broad bean pods, podded and shelled
approx 1 tablespoon of good quality olive oil
50g pine nuts, toasted
about 2 inch piece of feta, crumbled
1 clove of garlic
splash of water
1/4 red chili with seeds

Toast your pinenuts in a dry pan. Then boil some water and cook your asparagus for just one minute at a rolling boil.
Whizz up all your ingredients in a food processor, add more oil if you need a looser mixture. Taste and season.

Stir into pasta, add to a sandwich, serve as a dip, whatever you can think of!

Yum. :)

Asparagus Pesto

Didn't I promise you another asparagus recipe? Here it is!

To break from the rut of asparagus/egg/bread which whilst being delicious is a bit of a standard way to have asparagus, I decided to whizz up the stalks into a nice fresh pesto.


Asparagus makes a beautifully green pesto which is creamy and light, not as strong as the basil variety and perfect for a quick dinner.

Use any pasta you have to hand, spaghetti or linguine would be lovely as well as any other pasta shapes.

Asparagus & Walnut Pesto - serves 2
adapted from local lemons

8 stalks of asparagus
50g parmesan
handful of walnuts
few basil leaves or any other soft herb
pinch of chili flakes
handful of fresh spinach leaves
good quality olive oil
salt and pepper
1 small clove of garlic - add less if you don't like raw garlic
approx 150g - 200g pasta

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, you will use this to gently cook your asparagus and cook your pasta. Put the asparagus stalks in whole, woody ends removed. Cook for only 2 minutes, they will be just tender enough in this time.
Remove them from the pan and then add in your pasta.

Chop your asparagus into roughly 1 inch pieces, put the tips to one side.
Blitz the rest of the chopped asparagus with the other ingredients (except the olive oil) in a food processor. You can use a pestle and mortar for a rougher pesto. Add in approx 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil and pulse, adding more oil if it needs be to loosen up the pesto.

Drain your pasta, reserving a few tablespoons of the cooking water. Return the pan to the heat with the pasta, add in your pesto and the reserved stalks and mix really well. Serve in warmed bowls with another grating of parmesan.

asparagus & egg gratins

One thing we are very lucky to have locally is someone who grows and sells asparagus from his greenhouse. The asparagus is ready around mid March and goes on til about May, which means you get a chance to eat it early and also well into asparagus season.


I've blogged about it before, and I always make sure I go along and buy every year. It is a very small enterprise, just a retired man's hobby. If you are in Cambridgeshire, it is signposted from Granta Park.

I saw this recipe on Shutterbean a couple of days before the asparagus went on sale (I made this about 2 weeks ago but I have just blogged it now!), and once it did I hot footed it down there and then down to the farm shop (Gog Magog Hills) for the rest of the ingredients.

These are lovely and simple to prepare, we had them for dinner but I think they'd make a great breakfast too. Be careful not to over cook the yolks, I did a little whilst trying to bubble the cheese under the grill.

You can find the recipe over here on Shutterbean.

I amended it by using milk instead of cream and different cheese. I picked up some Neals Yard Dairy Cotherstone cheese at the farm shop, softer than parmesan but just as strongly flavoured, it worked very well.

I served it with warmed ciabatta bread and hot sauce, yum!

I used the remaining asparagus for lunch the next day, grilled on a griddle pan with chillies, garlic, lemon and soy sauce. It was delicious. I just bought another bunch today so hopefully I'll be blogging another recipe soon.

Spring time eating

One of the things I am most glad to see is the sign leading up to my office saying 'fresh cut asparagus.' A retired man sells bunches from his greenhouse every March and April and it definitely signals the beginning of spring, and the beginning of more interesting food.

There really is no point in buying asparagus out of season - its woody and has a strong cabbagey flavour that just isn't nice. Fresh asparagus is just lovely, tender and sweet.
By happy coincidence my colleagues hens have starting laying lots of eggs recently so she bought in some for us to take home.

I made a simple dinner of grilled asparagus (with just olive oil and salt and pepper), a fried egg and some garlic and olive oil ciabatta. It made for a perfect start to spring, even though the weather isn't trying very hard at the moment.
I think I'll be back to grab some more asparagus before the short season is over, I spotted this Asparagus Pesto recipe over on Local Lemons which looks great.