Recipe | Spring Beans on Toast

The classiest kind of beans on toast – using broad beans and elderflower as the secret stars.

Serves 4

1.5kg broad beans in pods

Bunch of fresh mint leaves, chopped

Bunch of fresh chives, chopped

115g ricotta cheese

1 lemon, zested

4 slices sourdough bread

Fresh chive flowers, optional

For the elderflower dressing:

2 tsp djion mustard

2 tsp honey

2 tbsp elderflower vinegar

100ml olive oil

To make

1 Pod the broad beans and bring a pan of water to the boil. Add the beans and cook for about 3 mins.

2 Drain the beans and skin them if the beans are large. Place in a bowl, adding chopped mint and chives.

3 To make the dressing, place the mustard, honey and vinegar into a mixing bowl and season with

salt and pepper. Whisk together and slowly pour in the oil, whisking until it becomes emulsified. Taste

the dressing and adjust the seasoning as necessary. Add enough to coat the broad beans and herbs.

4 Mix the ricotta cheese with the lemon zest and season to taste.

5 Toast the bread and spread with ricotta cheese before spooning the beans on top. Drizzle with dressing and top with chive flowers, if using.

This recipe is taken from our feature, Respect Your Elders, in our May issue, which includes lots of recipes for using elderflowers, including cakes, cordials, curd and vinegar. The recipes are by Philippa Vine and photography by Anna Rubingh.

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More things to forage…

More from our blog…

Elderflower toner

The scented cream blooms of elderflowers have been used by women since time immemorial – in infusions to soften the skin and even out tone. The addition of glycerine gives a moisturising effect, leaving the skin silky smooth.

Makes around 200ml
1 head of fresh elderflowers (or 2 tsp dried)
200ml boiling water
5ml glycerine (optional)

1 Remove the stalks from the elderflowers (if using fresh) and put the tiny flowers in a mug or heatproof bowl.
2 Pour over boiling water, then cover with a plate and leave to infuse until cool.
3 Strain out the elderflowers, then add the glycerine (if using) to the liquid and mix well.
4 To use, soak cotton pads or a muslin cloth in the liquid and use as a toner or simple cleanser, once make-up has been removed. Use twice a day. The liquid will keep in the fridge for up to three days.

Turn to page 34 of May's The Simple Things for more on spring hedgerow foraging. 

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View the sampler here.

More from the May issue:

More homemade remedies:

Recipe: Elderflower champagne

Read our feature on ‘posh squash’ on page 35 of June’s The Simple Things? Get picking elderflowers before the season’s out, and use them to make this simple elderflower ‘champagne’ from blogger, Emma Bradshaw. With elderflowers in full bloom, it seems a waste not to use them in the kitchen. Have a go at this recipe from blogger Emma Bradshaw, who says: 'I've tried lots of different ways to make elderflower champagne, but this is my favourite most tried and tested method.'

You will need:

About 30 elderflower heads, in full bloom (pick on a sunny day away from the roadside, making sure you don't strip a tree of all its flowers!) 2kg natural sugar 4 litres hot water + 2 litres cold Juice and zest of four lemons 1-2 tablespoons white wine vinegar A pinch of dried yeast (although you may not need this)

Method:

1. Put the hot water and sugar into a large container (a preserving pan or spotlessly clean bucket is good) and stir until the sugar dissolves, then top up with cold water to 6 litres. 2. Add the lemon juice and zest, the vinegar and the flower heads and stir gently. 3. Cover with a clean muslin and leave to ferment in a cool, airy place for a couple of days. Take a look at the brew at this point, and if it’s not becoming a little foamy and obviously beginning to ferment, add a pinch of yeast. 4. Leave the mixture to ferment, again covered with muslin, for a further four to five days. Strain the liquid through a sieve lined with muslin and decant into sterilised glass bottles. 5. Seal and leave to ferment in the bottles for a further eight days before serving, chilled.

Makes around 20 bottles.

Recipe and images by Emma Bradshaw. Visit Emma's blog for more wild food recipes and outdoor adventures.

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