02.04.08: Creamy borlotti beans with purple sprouting broccoli

Inspired by the Jamie at Home show, He put together this adaptation of JO's intriguing borlotti bean, potato, whole-head garlic, celery and herb-bundle recipe, topping the creamy melange with a decadent sprinkle of pancetta. Stalks of purple sprouting broccoli got the hot wok treatment, and a palate-cleansing spinach, pear, and beetroot salad completed the table.

HE SAYS: Thought the borlotti beans were a good discovery - haven't had them for a while, and canned seemed to work well in a pinch. An fairly easy meal, and tasty, too. The pancetta nicely set off the herby beans with its salty crunch. The broccoli was pretty good, though the thicker stalks were a little undercooked, and the pear in the salad was perfectly ripe and sweet, complementing the vinegary beetroot just so.

SHE SAYS: I liked the creamy consistency of the beans very much, and who doesn't like a little pancetta? Thought the red wine vinegar overwhelmed some of the other flavours a bit, even though only a small amount was added. The brocca had a smokey grilled flavour, but as He said, needed a little lid-on steaming for the stalks. Now, why are English pears so good? Along with carrots, cucumbers, and potatoes, the Brits grow a mighty nice conference pear, and it was the star of the salad, although the malt-vinegar beetroot did its tarty best to compete.