For such a valuable food source, it's amazing how much we take pulses for granted. Ask a person in the street what a pulse is and the first thing that usually springs to mind is something to do with your heartbeat. Tell them it's something you eat and most will give you a blank look.
Pulses may not quite be the flavour of the month here but as is often the case, the rest of the world has been eating them for thousands of years. In many countries pulses are the staple diet and sometimes they are literally the difference between life and death, especially in Third World or emerging economies.
Pulses (dried beans, split peas, lentils and chickpeas) are the dried seeds harvested from legume crops that are grown specifically for food. (Green beans and green peas are not included because they are considered fresh vegetables.) Pulses grow inside pods which can contain between one and 12 seeds.
They are easy to digest and are highly nutritious because they contain twice the protein found in wheat and three times that of rice. Pulses have often been referred to as poor man's meat and as such have always played an important part in the traditional diet of communities around the world.
So popular is the consumption of pulses in some parts of Italy that the locals are referred to by the rest of the country as the fagiolli, the bean-eaters.
India is the largest producer and consumer of pulses but Australia, China and America also produce large amounts of legume crops for export into an ever-expanding market.
Apart from being an important cash crop, legumes, as a plant species, are also highly valued by the farmer and home gardener as they fix nitrogen in the ground, therefore playing a key role in crop rotation.
Before the advent of modern, commercial fertilisers this was obviously something of huge importance and even now, in rural New Zealand, the method is still employed.
Many of the pulses we eat more commonly today, we do so without even realising. Who likes hummus? Guess what? You're eating chickpeas. A poppadom anyone? They're made of lentil flour. Even that New Zealand staple baked beans (love them or hate them) are a pulse. Need I say more?
What better way to squash any lingering doubts about lentils than with a hearty, nourishing bowl of green lentil and spinach soup. Made with vegetable stock for a vegetarian option, it's simply delicious.
In the Middle East chickpeas and lamb are commonly eaten together and we've taken this to heart with a simple salad of roast lamb, couscous, pumpkin and chickpeas. It's the perfect meal for lunch or dinner all year round.
Cassoulet is the ultimate in baked beans and an absolute crowd-pleaser. Better still, it gets better with age but be warned. With so much flavour in one bowl you may never look at a tin of baked beans the same again.
Serves 4
half a leg of lamb, boned out and cut into 4 pieces
100ml olive oil
half a medium grey pumpkin, peeled, seeds removed and cut into large pieces
2 tsp ras el hanout (use ground cumin if unavailable)
1 cup couscous
1 cup boiling water
400g tin cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
100g baby spinach
3 spring onions, finely chopped
1 cup flat leaf parsley
juice of one lemon
salt and pepper to season
Make the couscous by placing in a bowl and stirring in the boiling water, a pinch of salt and 1Tbsp olive oil until the liquid has been absorbed. Cover with plastic wrap and set to one side.
When cool, fluff the couscous up by gently stirring it with a fork to separate the grains until no lumps remain.
Meanwhile, place the pumpkin on a baking tray lined with baking paper and sprinkle with half the remaining olive oil, the spices and salt and pepper. Roast in a 180degC oven until cooked.
Season the lamb and seal in a hot, heavy-based frying pan. When browned all over, place into a 200degC oven for 4 to 5 minutes before removing from the oven and resting in the pan for a further 5 minutes.
Assemble the dish by placing the pumpkin, spring onions, parsley, chickpeas and baby spinach into the bowl with the couscous. Dress with a little lemon juice to taste and a drizzle of olive oil and season.
Carve the lamb, divide the salad between four plates and finish with the lamb on top. Serve immediately.
• Ras el hanout is a special Moroccan spice blend. We use Equagold.
Cassoulet with bacon and sausage
Serves 4
2 Tbsp duck or goose fat
1 x 200g piece belly bacon, dry-cured if possible, cut into three pieces
8 quality pure pork sausages
2 medium carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
1 large brown onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2 sticks celery, roughly chopped
6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 x 400g tins cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 litre chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste
8 thinly sliced belly bacon rashers, grilled until crisp
Place the duck fat into a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat. Add the bacon pieces and cook gently in the fat until lightly browned.
Add the vegetables and cook for a further 5 minutes before adding the sausages, beans and enough chicken stock to almost cover.
Bring to a gentle simmer and cover with a piece of baking paper weighted down with a small pot lid. Cook on a very slow simmer for 2 hours or until the vegetables and bacon pieces are very tender.
When cooked, remove half the beans and puree until smooth with a little of the cooking liquor. Mix pureed beans back into the cassoulet, season if required and divide between four bowls.
Finish with two rashers of crisp belly bacon on top of each portion and serve with toasted ciabatta or sourdough.
• Goose or duck fat is traditional in cassoulet. We make our own, but it can be found in good supermarkets and delis. Otherwise, you could substitute olive oil.
Green lentil and spinach soup
50ml olive oil
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 large red onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, finely chopped
1 large stick of celery, finely chopped
200g Du Puy lentils or green lentils
1 cups flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
300g spinach, wilted or blanched and squeezed to remove excess moisture, then finely chopped or puréed in a food processor
600ml chicken or vegetable stock, heated
2 Tbsp crème fraiche
salt and pepper to taste
In a large, heavy-based pot on a medium heat, sweat the onion, carrot and celery in the butter and olive oil without colour for 10 to 15 minutes or until very soft. (The longer the better as the vegetables become sweeter the longer they are cooked.)
Add the lentils, half a cup of chopped parsley and cook for a further two minutes before adding the heated stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes or until the lentils become soft but still retain their shape.
Briefly purée the lentils in a food processor and return them to the pot. Stir in the spinach, the remaining parsley and the crème fraiche. Adjust the seasoning and divide between four soup bowls.
Finish the soup with some good quality, new season extra virgin olive oil and eat with crusty bread or toast.
- Bevan Smith is the chef at the awarding-winning North Otago restaurant Riverstone Kitchen.
