Feta, pea and Jersey Royal frittata with minted yogurt recipe

Feta, pea and Jersey Royal fritatta with minted yogurt

If May is a colour, it is shades of green. Callow yellowy-green new leaves, the year's first cut grass, bunches of fat asparagus and clumps of watercress. All back-lit with a healthy dose of sunshine. In my mind, anyway.

So what is May 2012 playing at? May 2012 is in the throes of an identity crisis, confusing itself with grey, grizzly old February.

But just because the skies are leaden and the rain is rattling at the windows, doesn't mean that May's annual bounty of new season produce isn't in the shops and ready to be played with. I love all the Italian primavera dishes at this time of year - risottos and pasta served simply with asparagus, mint, and soon, the first of the broad beans and summer peas. Frittatas are an ideal vehicle for some primavera greenery. In this frittata recipe, I've used a liberal sprinkling of mint leaves and peas to provide May's missing hit of green, while a golden crust of Jersey Royals, eggs and Feta recreates the AWOL sunshine. Serve it with griddled asparagus and yogurt swirled with mint and garlic, while ignoring the falsely-optimistic weather updates on your iPhone. Siri lies.

Feta, pea and Jersey Royal frittata

Feta, pea and Jersey Royal frittata with minted yogurt

300g Jersey Royals, scrubbed
170g Feta
200g frozen peas, blanched in a bowl of boiling water
6 large free-range eggs, beaten
4 tbsp rapeseed oil
10g butter
1/2 large bunch of mint, shredded
Sea salt
Black pepper

For the minted yogurt

150ml full-fat natural yogurt
1 garlic clove, crushed
Sea salt
Freshly-ground black pepper
2 tbsp mint leaves, finely chopped

Boil the Jersey Royals in a pan of salted water for about 12-15 minutes, until tender but still firm. Drain, then cut into thick slices.

Meanwhile, make the yogurt sauce by stirring the crushed garlic into the natural yogurt. Stir in the finely chopped mint leaves and scatter a few on top. Season and set aside.

Pre-heat the grill to medium.

Heat the butter and oil in a large, heavy-based, oven-proof frying pan over a medium heat. Add the potatoes and fry for a couple of minutes before pouring in the beaten egg.

Add the peas and crumble in the Feta. Scatter the mint leaves over the top and season.
Fry the frittata for about 3-4 minutes until the edges turn frilly and the egg begins to firm up.

Place the frying pan under the grill for a further 2-3 minutes until the top is puffy and golden.

Cut into wedges and serve warm with the yogurt and some griddled asparagus. It is also delicious served cold the next day, with the yogurt sauce as a dressing for a spinach and watercress salad.