glorious green pottage

The thing about the 1st Jan is that my body is simply aching for something green and this bowl of glorious green pottage is exactly the antidote I need.  We’ve basically been eating gold, bronze and beige food for a fortnight, which is wonderful of course but I can just feel my internal organs screaming for something a little healthier.

This pottage is a collection of all the green things I had in either the fridge or the freezer, plus a handful of pearl barley to add a little bulk.  You can follow my recipe or just substitute what you love or have in your fridge or freezer.  I think what really makes it taste so fresh and good for me is the bag of mixed salad leaves – the one I used had spinach, watercress and rocket.

glorious green pottage

• 1 medium onion – finely chopped (I used a banana shallot)
• 3 sticks of celery – chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic – finely grated
• a large pinch of fresh thyme
• 100g frozen broad beans
• 100g frozen peas
• 75g pearl barley
• 1/4 love heart cabbage – chopped
• 1 bag of mixed salad leaves (I used the watercress, spinach and rocket selection)
• 1 ltr good quality vegetable stock
• salt and pepper
• olive oil

Gently heat a little olive oil in a heavy soup pan and throw in the onion and celery.  Sauté until beginning to soften, roughly 5 mins, then add a little salt and pepper and the fresh thyme along with the minced garlic and gently let that soften too.

Stir in the frozen veg and let it sauté gently with the rest for about 4 minutes, then add the pearl barley and let it gently soak up some of the juices.  Add stock followed by the cabbage and the bag of mixed veg which you might have to push down into the stock.

Let the whole thing gently bubble away on a low heat for 15 mins then take it off the heat for 5 mins before serving.  A grating of parmesan over the top always makes it zing!

Eat and of course, enjoy!