Making the most of the last of this summer’s asparagus, here’s a simple risotto flavoured with summer greens, off-set beautifully with toasted hazelnuts and parmesan.

Ingredients: 2 shallots, 1 clove of garlic, 3 asparagus spears, 1 small courgette, 120g yellow wax beans, 8g lemon thyme.

From the larder: 20g butter, 170g Arborio rice, 700-800ml stock, 50g hazelnuts, salt and pepper, (optional: salmon fillets, 30g grated parmesan).

 Instructions:

• Peel and chop the shallots and a garlic clove. Sauté gently with a knob of butter for about 5-7 minutes until shallots are soft.
• Add the Arborio rice and cook for 2 minutes, until the rice looks slightly translucent.
• Prepare 700ml stock (use some white wine if you like). Add it to the rice ladle-by-ladle until it is all fully absorbed. Stir and allow stock to absorb between each ladle. Add more water if you run out of stock before the rice is cooked. This process can take up to 20 mins, so be patient. If using salmon, grill while the risotto cooks.
• While keeping an eye on the risotto, heat a frying pan and dry fry the hazelnuts until they start to smell and brown. Set aside.
• Using the same frying pan, heat a glug of oil and cut the asparagus spears into quarters, slice the courgette and top, tail and halve the wax beans. Sauté the veggies until soft.
• Once the stock is absorbed and the risotto al denté. Remove from the heat, stir in the veggies, hazelnuts, lemon thyme leaves and parmesan and serve immediately, with extra parmesan grated on top.