Carlin Pea, Pearl Barley & Tomato Stew

Method

1. Cook the carlin peas in salted water following the pack instructions.
2. Cook the pearl barley in vegetable stock following the pack instructions.
3. Don’t strain the pearl barley once it has cooked as you will use the cooking water later in the recipe.
4. Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium-low heat, add the thyme, rosemary, garlic, chilli flakes and fennel seeds and allow to sizzle gently for 2 minutes until fragrant.
5. Add the sliced fennel and onion, as well as a good pinch of sea salt and grind of pepper and cook for 20 minutes until soft and sweet, stirring every so often.
6. Add the carrots, tomato paste and sun-dried tomatoes and cook for another 2 minutes.
7. Add the tins of tomatoes (crushing them with your hands if they are whole tomatoes), along with 2 litres of water, and the parmesan rind (if using).
8. Bring to the boil, and then turn the heat down to low to simmer for 30 minutes.
9. After 30 minutes, add half of the carlin peas to a soup blender (or equivalent), alongside a couple of ladles of the tomato stew and blitz until smooth.
10. Add this back to the pot along with the remaining carlin peas, pearl barley and the liquid that the pearl barley was cooked in.
11. Add the sliced cabbage and simmer for 10 minutes until the cabbage is tender.
12. Check for seasoning - adding more salt/pepper if required, or possibly a little bit of sugar depending on the sweetness of the tomatoes you have used.
13. Serve with some crusty bread, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and perhaps some more parmesan, or with an egg and a big dollop of yoghurt.