Serves: 4

Carlin Pea Summer Salad with Charred Courgette, Feta & Lemon- Oregano Dressing By Chef Ali Honour

Nobody slides out of bed whispering sweet nothings to a jar of Carlin peas. But perhaps they should. These knobbly little legumes punch so far above their weight, they might as well be wearing tiny golden gloves and ringing a bell for round two.

The Carlin pea, also known as the Black Badger, which sounds like a folk horror antagonist or a very niche craft beer ,have long been elbowed out of the spotlight by its flashier Mediterranean cousins. But they have bite, and backbone.Think of them as the Daniel Craig of legumes: brooding, textured, and built to last.

We toss them through a market-stall riot of veg — smoky courgettes charred just enough to make them behave, raw ribbons for crunch, cucumbers because it’s summer and you’re not a monster. Chunks of tomato bring the juice. Red onions whisper sharp truths. And then there’s feta and olives, because all salads — like Hollywood stories— need a bit of salt and scandal. The whole thing is drenched in a lemon-garlic-oregano dressing that could bring a dead salad back to life.

It’s the sort of dish that makes you feel obscenely smug about eating the rainbow while secretly just enjoying a big, savoury bowl of delicious things that got along.

 

Ingredients:

  • For the salad
  • 1 jar (700g) Bold Bean Co Carlin peas, drained (or 250g cooked from dried Hodmedod’s)
  • 1 courgette, halved lengthways and char-grilled
  • 1 raw courgette, shaved into ribbons with a peeler
  • 2 large ripe tomatoes, cut into chunks
  • 1⁄2 cucumber, deseeded and cut into chunks
  • 1⁄2 small red onion, thinly sliced
  • 80g feta cheese, crumbled
  • A handful of Kalamata olives, pitted
  • A handful of fresh mint, chopped
  • 1 tsp fresh oregano
  • Sea salt & cracked black pepper
  • For the dressing:
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • Zest of 1⁄2 lemon
  • 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
  • 1 tsp red wine vinegar
  • 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Method:

  1. Char the courgette:
Brush courgette halves with olive oil and grill on a hot griddle pan or BBQ for 3–4 minutes per side until golden with grill marks. Let cool slightly, then slice into thick half-moons.

  2. Make the dressing: In a jar or bowl, whisk together lemon juice, zest, garlic, vinegar and olive oil.

  3. Season with salt and pepper

  4. In a large serving bowl or platter, combine:
    Carlin peas
    Grilled courgette slices
    Raw courgette ribbons
    Tomoto and cucumber chunks
    Red onion slices
    Kalamata olives
    Drizzle over the dressing to coat

  5. Drizzle over the dressing to coat.

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