How to Make Spring Vegetable Stew

Ingredients

• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 10 asparagus stalks, woody ends broken off, chopped into ¾ in (2 cm) lengths, tips and stalks kept separate
• 3½ oz (100 g) frozen young sweet peas
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 small zucchini, quartered lengthwise, cut into ½ in (1 cm) cubes
• 4 large scallions, white part only, cut into ½ in (1 cm) pieces
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 4 tbsp white wine
• ½ cup half-and-half
• 1 tbsp finely chopped mint leaves

1. In a large pan of boiling salted water, blanch the asparagus stalks together with the peas for 1 minute. Add the asparagus tips and cook for another 1 minute. Drain the vegetables and refresh immediately in a large bowl of cold water, then drain again.
2. In the same pan, melt the butter with the oil. Add the zucchini and scallions and cook for 2–3 minutes until they start to brown at the edges. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the wine (it will bubble up and almost evaporate), then the cream, and season well.
3. Add the blanched vegetables to the pan and cook for another minute or two over high heat until the sauce has reduced and thickened. Stir in the mint to serve.