Fresh Corn Polenta With Broad Beans And Kale Pesto

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 parsnips(peeled and cut into 1 cm chunks)
• 1 large onion (cut into halves)
• 1 tin (300g) broad beans
• 4 cups spinach
• kale pesto:
• 2 cups kale (washed, blanched and finely chopped)
• 1 clove garlic (minced)
• ¼ cup cheese (goats cheese/ricotta)
• ¼ cup walnuts
• 1 tablespoon concentrated vegetable stock
• 1 lemon (juiced)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• fresh polenta:
• 6 sweetcorn cobs
• 2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon concentrated vegetable stock
• 4 tablespoons hazelnut oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. garnish: in a large saucepan, heat the oil and fry salsify on medium heat for 5-7 minutes. add the onions and fry for a further 2 minutes.
2. reduce the heat, add the beans and spinach. cook through and keep warm.
3. kale pesto: squeeze out excess water from kale and transfer to the food processor and the rest of the ingredients and blend to a smooth paste.
4. fresh polenta: clean and rinse the sweetcorn cobs and pat dry. with a sharp knife, slice the kernels off the cob and place in a large pot. place the pot over medium heat and add the water and concentrated stock to the kernels and cover. keep stirring till a gentle boil for about 8 minutes.
5. reduce the heat and simmer for a further 3 minutes. strain corn and keep the liquid aside for use later if necessary.
6. put the corn in a food processor and blitz until smooth. add some of the reserved liquid if the mixture is too dry. return the corn puree to the pot and stir in the hazelnut oil. season well and cook over a low heat, whilst stirring for 3 minutes continuously.
7. serve immediately with vegetable garnish and top with pesto.