Griddled greens and ricotta flatbreads

Flatbreads

These loaded flatbreads are a great way to use up any odds and ends of veg you may have lurking in your fridge. Cut into pieces and serve as a starter with drinks, or pile everything into the middle with a stack of the breads and let everyone make their own. Some crispy chorizo, pancetta or even a few slithers of smoked salmon would work well, too.

40 MINUTES | SERVES 6 | EASY |

courgettes 2 medium, trimmed and peeled into 5mm-thin strips

fresh spring peas (in pods) 150g

spring onions a bunch, trimmed

extra-virgin olive oil a drizzle

asparagus 100g, peeled into thin strips

lemon ½, zested and juiced

ricotta 200g

basil a handful, finely shredded, plus extra leaves to serve

garlic 1 small clove, crushed

parmesan (or vegetarian alternative) 25g, finely grated, plus extra to serve

fresh pesto 4-6 tbsp

flatbreads 6 (see recipe opposite or use shop-bought and warm on the BBQ)

1 Heat a BBQ about an hour before you want to cook on it, to allow the flames to die down and the coals to turn white and ashen. Don’t cook before you reach this stage otherwise you’ll get flare-ups and uneven cooking. Alternatively, heat a griddle pan over a high heat.

2 Put the courgettes, peas and spring onions in a bowl, season, and drizzle with a little oil. Toss well, then transfer to the bars of the BBQ or griddle pan, working in batches if you need to. Cook for 6-8 minutes, turning halfway, until tender and picking up char lines. Transfer back to a bowl (the spring onions will take a few more minutes than the courgettes), add the asparagus strips, another drizzle of oil and the lemon juice.

3 Mix the ricotta, chopped basil, garlic and parmesan with some seasoning. Spoon the ricotta over the warm flatbreads and scatter over the charred veg and asparagus.

4 Scatter with a few spoons of pesto (loosen with a little more oil if you need to, to get a drizzling consistency), lemon zest and more basil leaves to serve, with some extra parmesan shavings, if you like.

PER SERVING 437 kcals | fat 16.7G saturates 5G | carbs 52.7G | sugars 3.4G fibre 5G | protein 16.5G | salt 1G

This bread works well with the veggie flatbreads, paneer and kofte recipes, so make a double or triple batch if you’re feeding a crowd and get everyone to help themselves to toppings. Keep warm in a foil parcel wrapped in a tea towel if serving outdoors.

30 MINUTES + RISING | MAKES 6-8 | EASY |

strong white bread flour 500g, plus a dusting fast-action dried yeast 7g caraway, fennel or cumin seeds 2 tsp (optional) olive oil 4 tbsp

1 Mix the flour with the yeast, 1 tsp of fine sea salt and the seeds, if using. Make a well in the middle, and pour in the oil, along with 250ml of warm water. Knead in the bowl until it comes together, then transfer to a worksurface and knead for a few minutes until smooth. Put back in the bowl, cover and leave to rise for 1 hour.

2 Knock back the dough into the bowl, then divide into 6-8 pieces, depending on how big you want the flatbreads. Roll out on a lightly floured worksurface until about 5mm thick. Transfer to the bars of the BBQ over an indirect heat, or hot griddle pan over a medium high heat, and cook for 3-4 minutes until starting to bubble and release from the grill. Flip and cook for a few minutes more on the other side. Repeat with the remaining flatbreads.

PER FLATBREAD (8) 281 kcals | fat 6.3G saturates 1G | carbs 47.2G | sugars 0.3G fibre 2.1G | protein 8.1G | salt 0.6G