Broad bean salad

I know a lot of people are not very fond of broad beans and I must admit I also had visions of grey, rubbery, overcooked and bitter broad beans. But hey, there's more to it that meets the eye! By peeling the tough grey outside layer of the broad beans you'll end up with a delicious, slightly sweet bean. Because we grow them in our veggie garden, we get the chance to eat these beans when they're young and tender and you don't even have to peel them. But I like them better when peeled.

We often eat this cold salad as a starter or side dish. The flavours are Italian and it goes very well with other Italian dishes or tomato dishes.

Ingredients:
- 1 kg broad beans (unshelled)
- 2 Tbsp good quality extra virgin olive oil
- 1 generous Tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 3 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese (or Pecorino)
- pepper and salt to taste

Preparation:
Blanch the broad beans in simmering water for about 1 minutes. Drain and let cool. Peel the broad beans and put in a bowl, together with the remaining ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with ciabatta or toast and a glass of red wine.

Once prepared serve immediately or the cheese will go soggy after a while.