Artichokes, peas, broad beans and prosciutto

250g peas, unshelled weight

250g broad beans, unshelled weight

4 medium artichokes

3tbs, olive oil, or enough to cover the bottom of your frypan

2 shallots, peeled thinly sliced

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly slice

4 slices of prosciutto

½ cup of dry white wine

1. Pod the peas and broad beans and set aside.

2. Prepare the artichokes. Remove the tough outer leaves and trim the stalk. Slice off the top half and using a small spoon, scoop out and discard the fluffy choke. Place in a medium sized bowl and cover with water and the juice of two lemons to prevent discolouration. 

3. Heat a large frypan (with a lid) over medium. Cover the bottom of the pan with olive oil. Cook the shallots and garlic gently until soft. Lay the artichokes in the pan and pour the wine over, let it bubble up for a few minutes and then add the water and the lid.

4. Let cook for 10 minutes, then add the peas and broadbeans and stir well to coat everything. Season everything well. Lay the prosciutto slices on top, put the lid back on and cook for 10 more minutes. 

5. Let it sit for about 15 minutes before serving. You can serve straight from the pan, peeling the proscuitto back to reveal the delicately cooked vegetables in all their winey juices! 

Ricotta meatballs with peas, spinach and oregano

For the meatballs

500g beef mince

200g fresh ricotta

Salt and freshly ground pepper

50g parmesan

1 egg

1/2 a cup of bread crumbs

For the sauce

1/2 onion, very thinly sliced

500g passata or 1 can tomatoes, crushed, thinned out with a little water

200g peas, shelled weight

1 bunch spinach, wash and tough stalks removed

For the meatballs, grease a large, flat oven tray and set aside. Then mix the beef, ricotta, parmesan, salt, pepper, egg, breadcrumbs in a medium sized bowl. Using your hands, squish everything together til well combined. Roll into 30g balls and place on a greased tray. Preheat the oven to 220C while they rest and you make the sauce.

For the sauce heat the olive oil in a large frypan over low heat and add the onion. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occacionlly until very soft, add the passata or tomatoes and let it bubble away while you put the meatballs in the oven.

Bake the meatballs for 10 minutes, turning half way through the cooking time.

While the meatballs are baking, blanch the peas and spinach for 5 minutes each in salted boiling water. Set aside and drain.

When the meatballs are done, gently slide them into the sauce. Beucase they have ricotta in them they are a little more delicate that your average meatball! let it simmer away for 15 minutes.

When they are done, stir the cooked peas, spinach and oregano gently through and serve with rice or bread, a big scoop of tahini would be nice!