Baby artichokes with goat's cheese, asparagus and baby leeks

Method

1. To make the basil sauce, boil the basil leaves in a large saucepan of water for 30 seconds. Drain the leaves in a sieve and put them in a large bowl of cold water to refresh them. As soon as they are cold, strain the leaves and squeeze out any excess water.

2. In a food processor, puree the basil, pinenuts, garlic and 35ml of the olive oil, until the mixture forms a slightly textured paste. Pour the remaining olive oil over the surface of the basil and set aside.

3. Set the oven to 190°C/gas 5. Mix the goat's cheese with plenty of salt and black pepper. Stuff each of the baby artichoke halves with a small spoonful of this mixture, lay them on a baking sheet and bake them for 5 minutes.

4. Heat a frying pan with a little water, one tablespoon of the extra virgin olive oil and some salt and pepper. Add the blanched asparagus and baby leeks to the pan and heat them through. At the same time, warm through the baby plum tomatoes, the olives and the broad beans in a separate pan with the remaining olive oil and a little water.

5. When they are warmed through, add 3 tablespoons of the basil sauce and season with salt and black pepper.

6. Toss another tablespoon of the basil sauce with the asparagus and leeks.

7. To serve, put the stuffed artichokes around the outside of each of 4 plates, place the asparagus and baby leeks in the centre and surround with the plum tomato and basil sauce.

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Ingredients

200g Goats cheese, rind removed
Salt, and freshly ground black pepper
6 baby artichokes, cooked and halved
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
12 large green asparagus spears, blanched
6 baby leeks, blanched and halved
20 plum tomatoes
12 pitted black olives, halved
100g Broad beans, blanched

For the basil sauce:

30g basil leaves
20g Pine kernels
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
50ml extra virgin olive oil

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