Frank Camorra cooks with spring greens

I love cooking vibrant green vegetables in spring, and not just the ones traditionally associated with the season, such as asparagus or fresh peas. I first made this broccoli dish in a small village in the Pyrenees mountains in Spain, using jamon and fresh tomatoes. While cooking vegetables for a short time keeps them crunchy, gently braising them for longer with other aromatic ingredients brings out more flavour and loses none of the goodness. The broccoli in this dish can be replaced with a mix of vegetables or a single favourite.

Asparagus done on the chargrill is an excellent way to enjoy the first spears of spring. I prefer to cook them from raw rather then blanching them first as I think this retains more flavour. Romesco sauce, with its deep, rich flavour, is a good all-rounder that goes with meat, fish and vegetables. Its lovely, earthy red colour also looks great in contrast with anything green.

BROCCOLI WITH TOMATO AND JAMON

6 tomatoes

5 small broccoli heads

100ml olive oil plus extra to drizzle

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

100g Serrano jamon, finely chopped

2 tbsp water

2 tsp sea salt

3 tbsp parsley, roughly chopped

Cut tomatoes in half and grate flesh on a grater, leaving the skin. Discard skin.

Cut stalk from broccoli, leaving 3 centimetres at the base of the florets. Cut each head into florets, starting at the bottom of the head, leaving some stalk attached. Put a medium-sized saucepan with a tight-fitting lid on a medium heat, add oil then grated tomato, garlic and jamon and cook for 5 minutes.

Add broccoli, water and salt, place lid on saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally. After about 15 minutes, check broccoli is cooked by pushing a sharp knife through stalk. If there is no resistance, take saucepan off heat.

Add chopped parsley and check seasoning. Serve warm drizzled with extra virgin olive oil.

Serves 6-8

GRILLED ASPARAGUS WITH ROMESCO SAUCE

2 ripe tomatoes

1 garlic bulb

2 red capsicums

1 brown onion, unpeeled

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

110g hazelnuts

110g almonds, blanched

1 thick slice 2-day-old sourdough bread

30g sweet paprika

2 tbsp good quality red wine vinegar

1.5 kg firm asparagus

Preheat oven to 180C. Place whole tomatoes, garlic bulb, capsicums and onion in a roasting tray, drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and roast for 10 minutes. Remove tomatoes and set aside.

Roast for another 10 minutes, then remove garlic. Roast for another 20-25 minutes or until capsicums are slightly charred; remove them, place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Roast onion another 15 minutes or until very soft. Remove and set aside. Spread nuts on a baking tray and roast for 10-15 minutes or until golden, then rub skin off hazelnuts.

When vegetables are cool enough, peel tomatoes, discard skin and roughly chop. Squeeze garlic cloves from their skins. Peel skin from capsicums, discard with stalks and seeds and roughly chop flesh. Remove and discard onion outer skin, roughly chop flesh. Heat remaining olive oil in a heavy-based frypan over medium heat and cook bread for about 1-2 minutes on each side or until golden.

Drain on paper towel and set aside to cool. Break bread into rough pieces and whiz in a food processor with nuts until coarse breadcrumbs form. Add paprika, vinegar and roasted vegetables and process until well blended but still coarse in texture. Set aside until ready to use. Preheat grill. Snap woody bottom off asparagus spears, then lightly oil and season with sea salt. Place on grill and cook for 2 minutes on each side or until lightly coloured. Serve warm with romesco sauce.

Serves 6