This post is dedicated to all of you in the northern hemisphere, you lucky duckies about to savour and immerse yourselves in the long-awaited spring season.

And the vast array of green goodness it brings.

Think sweet baby broad beans, prickly but juicy artichokes, pointy and proud asparagus and the vivid green of plump, fresh garden peas, slightly crushed and married to a fruity Ligurian extra-virgin olive oil.

Ingredients:

2 slices of sourdough (if you are as insane as I am, you can bake your own…)

1 garlic clove cut in half

5 table spoons of extra-virgin olive oil (you can use basil-infused oil, if you have made some)

2 cups of fresh or frozen peas

a small handful of mint leaves

1 tablespoon of lemon juice +zest of half a lemon

4 tablespoons of pecorino shavings

Salt and black pepper to taste

Rub the bread with the cut garlic and brush 1 tablespoon of oil on each slice.

Grill on both sides until golden.

In the meantime, bring a small pot of salted water to the boil.

Drop the shelled peas in and cook for 2 minutes.

Drain and rinse under cold water to keep the peas vibrant green hue.

Place the peas in a bowl, crush them with the back of a fork and season them with 1 tablespoon of oil, a few shredded mint leaves, the lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Arrange the grilled bread on a chopping board or a serving platter, top with the peas and the pecorino shavings, a few mint leaves and the lemon zest.

Drizzle each slice with 1 tablespoon of extra virgin and eat while still warm.

A celebration of spring! (and only another 6 months before it hits Australia…sigh…)

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