DAILY DINNERS

Pod the peas (without eating too many) & shell the peas, reserving five of the empty pods to flavour the soup. Peas are best enjoyed freshly picked, before the sugars convert to starches so, if in doubt, I’d recommend going for frozen instead. It’s well worth the happy labour if you do find them really fresh, though – plus you get to eat some of the peas as you go.

Prep the supporting acts: roughly chop the spring onions, white and green parts alike, discarding only the tough tops. A couple of shallots, or a small white onion, finely chopped, will stand in for the spring onions if that’s all you have to hand. Chop the bacon, if using – I’d recommend it if you eat pork, because the savoury flavour is an excellent partner for the sweetness of the peas.

Fry the onions and bacon. Heat the butter in a large pan over a medium-low flame. (Alternatively, use oil) Add the bacon and spring onions, and sweat gently until the onions are soft and the bacon begins to release its fat; try not to let it colour.

 Add the peas and the reserved pods, if using, to the pan, stir to coat them in the fat, then pour in the water. If you aren’t using bacon, you may wish to use vegetable stock instead, because the soup could probably do with the extra boost of flavour. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the peas are really tender (about 10 minutes, depending on their size).

Puree the soup: turn off the heat, fish out and discard the pods and leave the soup to cool slightly. Use a food processor or hand blender to puree the mix until smooth – if you realise belatedly that you’ve missed a pod, it’s not a disaster, but you may wish to sieve the soup after blending, to extract any particularly fibrous bits before serving.

Seasonings: stir in the lemon juice, taste and season accordingly: depending on the freshness of the peas, you may well feel the need to add a pinch of sugar as well as the usual salt and pepper; if you’re serving the soup warm, a tiny pinch of nutmeg wouldn’t go amiss, either, although that’s strictly optional.