Pea, broad bean and feta salad

After the excesses of the celebratory season, some good green fun is probably in order.  For the last few days, although I remain unable to resist the lure of the Christmas Rocky Road tin, I have been craving fresher flavours.

This is a lovely salad, even better the day after (the afternoon after the night before in this case) with a packet of crisps and a pint of water.  A good way to start the new year!

Ingredients

• 1/2 packet baby spinach/2 heads baby cos, leaves roughly torn
• 2 red onions
• 4 tablespoons caster sugar
• 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 75ml balsamic vinegar (use red wine vinegar if you don't have balsamic)
• 1 cup frozen broad beans
• 1 cup frozen petit pois
• Good olive oil
• Juice 1/2 lemon
• Packet feta cheese, cubed

Method

• Heat the oven to 180C/350F.
• Peel the red onions and slice into 3mm rings.  Lay flat in an oven dish and sprinkle with the sugar.  Season with salt and pepper.  Pour on the vinegar and olive oil, give everything a stir, and pop into the oven.  
• Roast the peppers for 30 minutes, stirring half way through.  Once done they should be sticky and soft, sour and sweet.
• Cook the broad beans in boiling water following the packet guidelines.
• Cook the frozen peas.  Whilst they come to the boil and simmer, squeeze the beans out of their skins.
• Mix the peas and beans in a bowl with the lemon juice and olive oil to taste.  Stir together with your hands and leave to cool in the dressing, absorbing the flavours. 
• Once the peas and beans are no longer very hot, add the cubed feta.
• Just before eating, arrange the salad leaves in a bowl, top with the peas, beans and feta, and lastly with the red onion rings.