Take your cooking cues from the garden and bring the outdoors inside with these delicious recipes. From sweet lemon cakes to pea and lettuce soup, these hearty dishes will delight the senses – as any good garden will.

Recipes Rosa Matto | Styling Natalie Homan | Photographs Brendan Homan

serves 6-8

1 small leek, chopped and washed
1 small fennel bulb, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
pinch saffron threads
water, as needed
1 tbsp sour cream
salt and freshly ground white pepper
1 cos lettuce, washed and chopped
500g frozen peas

1 litre chicken or vegetable stock
12 sprigs thyme
fennel pollen or crushed fennel seeds

Make the creamed fennel base first. Place fennel and leek in a saucepan with the oil and saffron threads and saute for 20 minutes, or so, over low heat until very soft but not coloured, add water as needed.

Add sour cream, salt and pepper. Use a stick blender and make it smooth and creamy. Reserve ½ cup to garnish the finished soup.

To the remaining fennel cream add lettuce, peas, stock and herbs and cook lightly for 10 minutes.

Allow to cool slightly before blending again briefly, do not curdle the cream.

Adjust seasoning and serve with the reserved fennel cream and scatter with fennel pollen if available or crushed fennel seeds.

 

This article first appeared in the May 2024 issue of SALIFE magazine.