Food & drink Nigel Slater

The sauce will also happily take butter beans, nuggets of crisp bacon or a spoonful of fried onions

side to side until you get a good mixture of crumbs of different size, then set aside.

Wash the spinach and pile the leaves, still wet, into a pan, cover tightly with a lid and cook for a minute or two over a high heat. When the leaves have relaxed (they cook in their own steam) drain, then gently squeeze most of the moisture out and set aside. Fill the empty pan with water and bring to the boil. Cook the peas for 3 or 4 minutes, then remove with a draining spoon. Bring the water back to the boil, add the beans and cook for 6 or 7 minutes or until tender. Drain and mix with the peas.

Set the oven at 200C/gas mark 6. Add the drained spinach to the peas and beans, then stir into the sauce. Check the seasoning for salt and black pepper, then spoon into a gratin or other shallow, ovenproof dish or, if you prefer, four individual baking dishes. Sprinkle the crumbs over the surface and bake for about 25 minutes until lightly browned.

Cucumber, microgreens, wasabi

Crisp, refreshing and with a mild horseradish warmth. A good accompaniment for grilled prawns or lamb cutlets. Serves 4 as a side salad

shallot 1, small

rice vinegar 1 tbsp

cucumber 1, medium

wasabi paste 2 tsp

olive oil 3 tbsp

parsley leaves 2 tbsp

dill fronds 2 tbsp

microgreens or sprouted seeds 50g

Peel the shallot, chop it finely and put it in a mixing bowl. Pour over the rice vinegar and let it sit for 15 minutes. This will soften the shallot’s pungency.

Peel the cucumber, slice in half from stalk to tip, then scrape out the seeds. Cut the flesh into short lengths, about 2cm, then put them in a mixing bowl.

Using a small hand whisk or fork, make the dressing. Put the wasabi paste and a pinch of salt into a small bowl, add the oil and beat until well mixed. Stir in 2 tbsp of the vinegar from the shallots. Pour the dressing over the cucumber, then add the shallot. Roughly chop the parsley and dill, then add to the salad and stir gently. Separate the microgreens (they tend to clump) and scatter over the cucumber.