Smashed fresh broad beans

Yum. Fresh broad beans are around: they are just difficult to find sometimes. Prices are funny too: I saw them at a fruit barn for $2.60 a kilo (bargain!) and then yesterday at another fruit shop for $2.70 per 450g, which is more than double the price. Iiiinteresting. Anyway, the best way I've found to deal with them is to throw the whole pods into boiling water, simmer for a minute or so, then into a sink of cold water to stop them cooking. Pull the beans out of the pods, then peel off the grey skins to expose the bright green beans inside.
I used 400g of whole beans to make this, which fed two, just. If I made this again I would increase the quantity of beans.

• Fresh broad beans (at least 400g pod weight)


• Few strips of lemon rind


• Good olive oil


• Sea salt


• A quarter to a half peeled garlic clove

Smash up the garlic and salt in a mortar and pestle. Finely chop the rind and add. Cook and peel the beans as above, and add them to the bowl. Smash up the beans, not to a mush but enough that they will spread easily. Add enough olive oil to create a lovely soft paste.

I loved this spread on some crusty Italian bread with proscuitto underneath.