SPRING VEG WITH HERBS AND FETA

There are days when I have an irrepressible craving for a big bowl of green veg, lightly steamed, drizzled with olive oil, spritzed with lemon and scattered with herbs. It feels like eating all the vitamins you will ever need at once, but in a way that is gloriously simple and deeply pleasurable. This is less a recipe, more a suggestion. Use any veg you like and adorn it as little or as much as your craving demands.

Preparation 10 minutes Cooking 2-8 minutes (depending on veg) Serves 4

SEASONAL GREEN VEG (AS MUCH AS YOU LIKE) REALLY GOOD OLIVE OIL

FRESH MIXED HERBS

1 LEMON

A WEDGE OF FETA

PUMPKIN AND SUNFLOWER SEEDS

1 Lightly steam a mix of green veg, like broccoli, asparagus, broad beans, French beans, peas, spinach and courgettes. Don’t skimp on the amount – remember this isn’t a side dish (although it can be) – and steam until the vegetables are only just cooked and no more. You want to retain a bit of bite.

2 Pile onto a plate or into a bowl and drizzle with oil. You could use a flavoured oil – walnut or chilli, for example – or just a fruity, unctuous extra-virgin olive oil.

3 Scatter over a good mixed handful of roughly chopped herbs – anything you like or have handy. Parsley, basil, mint, coriander and chives all work.

4 Spritz with fresh lemon juice and add a crumble of feta over the vegetables.

5 Dry fry 1 tbsp of pumpkin and sunflower seeds and sprinkle over the top. Grind over some black pepper and sprinkle with sea salt flakes.