Spring acquacotta
For 6
300 g (10 oz) sprue asparagus
6 small artichoke hearts (see here)
zest and juice of 1 lemon
400 g (14 oz) Swiss chard
300 g (10 oz) podded fresh peas
300 g (10 oz) podded fresh young broad beans
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
Maldon salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons each of chopped fresh parsley, basil and thyme
6 crostini (see here)
Cut off and discard the hard part of the asparagus stalks. Slice each artichoke heart into four and put in a bowl of water with the lemon juice. Separate the stalks from the leaves of the chard. Cut the stalks into 5 mm (1/4 in) pieces, and roughly chop the leaves.
In a saucepan, heat the oil and fry the garlic until golden. Add the artichokes. After 2 minutes add the chard stalks and cook together until soft and beginning to colour.
Add half the peas, broad beans and chard leaves, season and just cover with boiling water. Cook over a moderate heat for 20 minutes. Add the remaining vegetables and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add the lemon zest and the herbs at the last moment and serve with a crostini in each soup bowl.