0:00:32 > 0:00:35When I've got a little bit of expensive meat I want to pad out,
0:00:35 > 0:00:39it's so easy to just think of pasta or rice
0:00:39 > 0:00:44or something that will do the job, but there are other things too.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47One of my favourites is to use bulgar wheat.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49So for Monday's supper,
0:00:49 > 0:00:53I'm going to make some cheap and cheerful lamb patties.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56It needs very, very little preparation.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59Just a little bit oil in a bowl, and all the cooking it gets
0:00:59 > 0:01:02is just a little bit of freshly boiled water
0:01:02 > 0:01:06over the top, just enough to cover it, and then it'll soak that up.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10As well as the bulgar wheat,
0:01:10 > 0:01:14I'm using root vegetables to make the lamb go even further.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18I'm going to keep...
0:01:18 > 0:01:21the pieces quite coarse,
0:01:21 > 0:01:24because I don't just want a mush of ingredients,
0:01:24 > 0:01:26I want different textures in there.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29The lamb's quite soft.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32I'm going to have that crunchy wheat.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35So the idea of having
0:01:35 > 0:01:39little bits of sweet root vegetable in there is going to be very good.
0:01:39 > 0:01:44A warm, earthy spice will complement the sweet roots perfectly,
0:01:44 > 0:01:45so I'm adding cumin.
0:01:47 > 0:01:49There's that lovely dusty, almost...
0:01:51 > 0:01:55..almost ancient feel about it.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58And it works so well in Middle Eastern cookery.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03So it's going to be very happy with the bulgar wheat.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07Just thinking about other things to put in there,
0:02:07 > 0:02:09maybe some parsley.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16This bulgar wheat has soaked up its liquid.
0:02:16 > 0:02:23I think you need about the same quantity of grated vegetables...
0:02:24 > 0:02:28..and bulgar wheat as lamb, so it's about half and half.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31This is really the whole point - once you start adding vegetables,
0:02:31 > 0:02:34maybe something like the bulgar wheat,
0:02:34 > 0:02:37you suddenly find that it's going to feed a whole family.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41And I like a good coarse-textured patty.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44I don't want some perfectly smooth thing
0:02:44 > 0:02:47that looks like it's come out of a packet.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50It's the whole point of doing things yourself
0:02:50 > 0:02:53that you get a chance to get more interesting textures
0:02:53 > 0:02:55than you will with processed food.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59Leave the patties in the fridge for about half an hour
0:02:59 > 0:03:02to marry the flavours, before frying in a little oil.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08Whilst they're cooking, I want something to go with them.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10They're going to be a little bit spicy
0:03:10 > 0:03:11with the garlic and the cumin in,
0:03:11 > 0:03:14so I want something quite cooling.
0:03:14 > 0:03:18Some chopped mint, plain yoghurt, and a grated cucumber
0:03:18 > 0:03:22will soothe and balance the heat and spice of the patties.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24I'm leaving the peel on,
0:03:24 > 0:03:28because I want this to have quite a coarse texture.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37Depending on how much bulgar wheat I've put in,
0:03:37 > 0:03:39these might be very crumbly.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43If you put the knife under them and quickly turn them over in one go,
0:03:43 > 0:03:47they stand a better chance of holding their shape
0:03:47 > 0:03:49than if you do it very timidly.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14That's better than just a lamb burger.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16It's got more going on -
0:04:16 > 0:04:18the crisp wheat and the soft lamb.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20A little bit hot, little bit cool.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23I just started out to make it cheaper.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25I think I've actually made it better.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30Bulking out a meal with bulgar wheat and grated veg
0:04:30 > 0:04:32not only looks fantastic,
0:04:32 > 0:04:36it enhances the flavour of the lamb rather than diminishing it.
0:04:44 > 0:04:49The challenge with growing your own veg is that it's so unpredictable.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52You can have a bountiful crop of something one year,
0:04:52 > 0:04:55hardly anything the next. I guess it's part of the fun.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59There's never any peas for the pot in my house.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02I always end up eating them when I'm walking round the garden.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07But they're so sweet like this.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11I've become a master at finding how to make a few peas go a long way.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14But what I do is use the whole plant.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18When peas are very, very small, you can eat the whole thing,
0:05:18 > 0:05:20you can eat the peas inside and the pod,
0:05:20 > 0:05:22and even the little shoots on top.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28My slim pickings are going to need help
0:05:28 > 0:05:30if they're going to stretch to a proper supper.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34I don't want to hide their lovely freshness and texture.
0:05:34 > 0:05:38A simple pea and pasta supper will do just the job.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44If you've only got a little bit of something, it's always tempting
0:05:44 > 0:05:49to use them with lots and lots of other ingredients to bulk them out,
0:05:49 > 0:05:51but I think sometimes that's a mistake.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53Because they get lost.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57I still want something like lovely fresh peas
0:05:57 > 0:05:59to be the star of the show.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01I want them to get top billing,
0:06:01 > 0:06:04so I don't hide them with lots of cream and stuff.
0:06:04 > 0:06:08There's something so sweet and tender about them.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11They're everything I want a vegetable to be,
0:06:11 > 0:06:15and shelling them, it's just a joy,
0:06:15 > 0:06:18you know - it's something that I do in a quiet moment.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22A slightly mindless moment -
0:06:22 > 0:06:27you can just clear your head just sitting shelling peas.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30You don't have to think.
0:06:30 > 0:06:35I'm just going to cook them with a little bit of butter...
0:06:36 > 0:06:38..some grated cheese
0:06:38 > 0:06:40and then toss them with the pasta.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45Peas and pasta can either be wonderful
0:06:45 > 0:06:47or it's a disaster waiting to happen.
0:06:47 > 0:06:51If you've got long strings of pasta, spaghetti or fettuccine,
0:06:51 > 0:06:54then the peas are just going to fall off
0:06:54 > 0:06:57on the way from the plate to your mouth.
0:06:57 > 0:07:03Any pasta with a dip, a curve or a hollow will keep your peas in place,
0:07:03 > 0:07:07and a decent block of Parmesan will tie it all together.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09Always eaten peas with pasta.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11As a kid it was one of my favourite meals,
0:07:11 > 0:07:14although it wasn't Parmesan in those days.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18And of course the peas came from a packet, but it was good.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20It's a combination that works.
0:07:23 > 0:07:24I don't want them to fry,
0:07:24 > 0:07:27I merely want them to soften, to become tender.
0:07:28 > 0:07:30So into that I also put...
0:07:32 > 0:07:34..pea shoots.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41What I'd really like in there is a little tiny bit of fresh basil.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44So a little bit of basil. I know basil is unusual with peas,
0:07:44 > 0:07:47but it's just something that I think works.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50It's not one of those traditional pairings
0:07:50 > 0:07:54that's very well known, it's just something that I did a while ago
0:07:54 > 0:07:55and thought, that really works.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01Add all the ingredients to the pan,
0:08:01 > 0:08:05and out of hardly anything, you've got a bountiful supper.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07And there really weren't many peas there,
0:08:07 > 0:08:09and even fewer pea shoots,
0:08:09 > 0:08:14and yet somehow, we've got supper for two.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23It's everything I want a plate of pasta to be.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27It's soothing, it's filling, it's also got a freshness to it.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31And I like the idea of bringing the store cupboard
0:08:31 > 0:08:33and the garden together.
0:08:33 > 0:08:34This really works for me.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38This is a great dish if you're trying to make
0:08:38 > 0:08:42a handful of goodies from the garden go further.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44Because the star ingredient is so fresh,
0:08:44 > 0:08:48keep whatever you're adding really simple.
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