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maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 15 APRIL 2015 14 Food Soups of spring The sunshine of the spring means broad beans in abundance and though most Maltese are quite happy to peel and eat, there are some fantastic recipes you can make using this springtime ingredient, including some spring soups from Gourmet Today TV. Try Pippa Mattei's traditional kusksu or if you're looking for something a little different, Sean Gravina makes a broad bean soup with Greek yoghurt, lemon zest and plenty of fresh herbs. What's better in the spring sunshine than plenty of Maltese bread, fresh tomatoes and ful bit-tewm, just like your grandmother used to make. Try Pippa's easy recipe for this local treat. Don't miss Gourmet Today TV, every Friday at 18:40 on TVM. Pippa Mattei Serves 6-8 persons Ingredients • 1kg fresh broad beans • Half a tube or one small jar kunserva • 2 onions, peeled and sliced • 2 potatoes, peeled and diced • 100 - 150g kusksu pasta (little beads) or Barilla 'Tempesta' • 100g fresh or frozen peas • Salt and pepper • 1 chicken or vegetable stock cube • Parmesan cheese • 6 fresh gbejniet • 1½l water • 2 tbsp butter • 2 tbsp olive oil Method Prepare the beans by peeling 1. twice. Toss the chopped onions and 2. diced potatoes in butter and oil heated over medium heat. When vegetables are well coated, 3. add the prepared beans and toss once or twice. Then add the kunserva and stir well. Add water to cover, as well as the 4. crumbled stock cube. Season with salt and pepper and 5. continue to cook until the beans are soft (approx. 20 mins). Add the pasta beads, stir well, 6. and continue cooking, until these are transparent, (approx. 20 mins). Finally add the peas and cook a 7. few minutes longer until all the vegetables and the pasta beads are tender. Serve this soup with a sprinkling 8. of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and one gbejna per person. Get more of Pippa Mattei's recipes in her books Pippa's Festa and 25 Years in a Maltese Kitchen. This recipe first appeared on Gourmet Today TV, aired on TVM on 10 April, 2015. Pippa Mattei Ingredients • 1kg broad beans (ful), peeled twice • 6 heads fresh garlic • Handful fresh parsley, chopped • Some water to cover • Salt/pepper • Olive oil Method Put some olive oil into pan, 1. and heat for a few mins. Add the peeled chopped 2. garlic, and cook for a few mins. Add the broad beans, and toss 3. for a further few mins. Add a little water to just 4. cover and continue to simmer adding the chopped parsley, salt and pepper to taste. Allow to cook till beans are 5. tender and water completely reduced. Serve warm or at room 6. temperature, with lots of Maltese bread, oil and tomatoes. Get more of Pippa Mattei's recipes in her books Pippa's Festa and 25 Years in a Maltese Kitchen. This recipe first appeared on Gourmet Today TV, aired on TVM on 10 April, 2015. Sean Gravina Ingredients 6 tbsp olive oil • 1.2l vegetable stock • 500g broad beans • 50g long grain rice • 400g Greek yoghurt • 2 garlic cloves, crushed • 1 large egg • 3 tbsp • Handful dill, roughly chopped • Handful parsley, roughly chopped • 1 lemon, zest and juice • Salt and pepper • Method 1. Bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Throw in the beans and simmer for 1 minute. 2. Drain, then refresh the beans under running cold water to stop the cooking. 3. Next, remove the skins by gently pressing with your fingers against the sides of each bean, causing the soft bean to pop out; discard the skins. 4. Add the rice to the stock and bring to a boil, the simmer, covered, for 20 mins. 5. Add half the skinned broad beans and some salt and pepper and using a blender, blitz the soup until it is completely smooth. 6. Whisk together the yoghurt, garlic and egg in a large heatproof bowl. 7. Add a ladleful of the hot soup and whisk together. 8. Continue gradually adding the soup until you've mixed in at least half of it. (It is important to do this slowly, otherwise the yoghurt might split due to the difference in temperatures.) 9. Pour the tempered yoghurt into the pan containing the rest of the soup. 10. Place on medium heat and warm up the soup while stirring constantly. Make sure the soup doesn't boil! 11. Taste and add seasoning. 12. Ladle the soup into four shallow bowls and drop in the remaining broad beans. Garnish generously with dill, parsley and lemon zest, and drizzle olive oil and lemon juice. This recipe first appeared on Gourmet Today TV, aired on 2 January, 2015. Kusksu Broad beans with garlic (Ful bit-tewm) Broad bean and Greek yoghurt soup