IN PRAISE of PLANTS
Springtime ratatouille
Ratatouille di primavera
➤ SERVES 4
➤ PREPARATION 20 minutes
➤ COOKING 30 minutes
• 1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed
• juice of 1 unwaxed lemon
• 4 artichokes
• 200g baby courgettes
• 200g cherry tomatoes
• 60ml extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small red onion, such as Tropea or torpedo, cut into thin wedges
• 300g new potatoes, scrubbed and halved
• sea salt
• 40g coarsely chopped salted peanuts
• a handful of fresh basil leaves
1 Peel the asparagus stalks with a vegetable peeler and slice them on an angle.
2 Fill a large bowl with cool water and add the lemon juice. Trim the artichokes, cut them into wedges, and cut the fuzzy choke from the centre, dropping the wedges into the bowl of lemon water as you go. (This prevents them from browning.)
3 Wash the courgettes and slice them thickly on an angle. Prick the tomatoes with the tip of a small, very sharp knife.
In a
