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The Broad Beans: In a large saucepan, slowly fry one thick slice of lean bacon or possibly salt pork cut into cubes in 1 Tbsp.
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extra virgin olive oil.
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When bacon has become soft, add in a small chopped onion.
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After the onion takes on color, put in a c. of shelled broad beans with 1/2 tsp.
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sugar and two leaves of minced lettuce.
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Let the beans fry for 1 to 2 min.
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Pour in 3 c. of meat stock or possibly bouillon and cook beans at a slow boil for 2 hrs uncovered.
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Add in meat stock or possibly bouillon as liquid evaporates.
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Season with salt when almost cooked.
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The Peas And Potatoes: Break the ends off a dozen peapods and put them to boil in 6 c. of water.
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Heat 2 Tbsp.
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extra virgin olive oil in a small skillet.
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Slowly fry a thick slice of lean bacon or possibly salt pork cut in cubes.
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When it has browned a little, put in a thinly sliced medium onion.
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Stir and shake the pan while the onion fries till soft and golden brown, but not brown.
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Pour off excess grease before adding 1 rounded Tbsp.
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flour.
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Immediately pour contents of skillet into water in that pea shells are boiling.
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Boil for 30 min.
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Force through a sieve into another saucepan.
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Add in shelled peas and peeled new potatoes.
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Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 hrs.
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After 1 hour, add in to the peas and potatoes a cubed slice of cured ham fried for 2 to 3 min in 1 rounded Tbsp.
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butter.
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Add in a little meat stock or possibly bouillon as liquid in that peas and potatoes are cooking evaporates.
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The Asparagus: Scrape off tough outer fibers, cut off thick part of stalk, and cook till tender in boiling salted water.
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If prepared in advance, keep in its own cooking liquid; reheat in the same liquid before serving.
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The Artichokes: Peel off all coarse exterior leaves till only the tender center part remains.
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Cut the choke to a miximum height of 2-inches.
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Clean in cool water, rub with half a lemon, and cook in boiling salted water to that you have added the juice of half a lemon and the two squeezed lemon halves.
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Cook till the leaves can be pulled off easily.
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If prepared in advance, keep in its own cooking liquid.
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Before serving, cut each artichoke in eight parts, dip in flour, then in beaten egg, and fry in 4 Tbsp.
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warm extra virgin olive oil.
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To Serve: Place a portion of each vegetable on each plate.
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Fry one piece of cured ham per person and serve it on top of the broad beans.
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If you wish to have the 'menestra' with egg, poach one egg per person in boiling water to that you have added 1 Tbsp.
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vinegar.
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Break each egg into a saucer and slide it into the boiling water.
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Scoop Large eggs out 4 min later and immediately place them in a pan of cool water.
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Trim the ragged edges with a knife or possibly kitchen shears.
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Serve the egg on top of the peas and potatoes.
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Comments: The 'menestra', a favorite Basque dish, is made only when the spring vegetables are young and tender: in April, May, and June.
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This recipe is from Casa Nicolasa in San Sebastian.
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The peas, whose pods are only 1 1/2-inches long, must come from a certain strip of land on one specific mountain behind the town; the broad beans are the size of a shirt button, and the potatoes measure 1-inch in diameter at most.
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Pounds and pounds of the tiny fresh vegetables are shelled and peeled for each portion.
