Summer Garden Salad

A salad full of vitality with endless possibilities ― and it couldn’t be easier to prepare. Every one you make will taste slightly different and reflect the true taste of your garden on that day. Serves 2 as a main dish or 4 as a starter.

Garden ingredients:
500g small new potatoes
175g shelled broad beans
1 small red onion or spring onions, finely sliced
1 small courgette
A bunch of radishes, washed and finely sliced

From your kitchen:
For the salad dressing – 
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
3 tbsp extra virgin organic olive oil
1 fresh garlic clove, crushed and finely chopped
Sea salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

To finish:
Salad leaves, washed and patted dry in tea towel, or spun in a salad spinner. 
A handful of chopped summer savory – if not available, other herbs such as chives, mint and parsley work well, too.

Directions:
1. Wash the potatoes and slice in half. Pop them in a pan with cold water, cover and bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer for 10 mins, or until tender. Meanwhile, cook the beans in a separate pan of water for 3 mins.
Drain cooked potatoes and beans well, and transfer both to a bowl.

2. Make the salad dressing by putting all the ingredients in a jam jar. Shake well to combine, seasoning to taste. Pour over the potatoes and beans whilst warm then toss gently.

3. Trim the courgette and use a vegetable peeler to turn it into ribbons.

4. Add the courgette, sliced onion and radishes to the potatoes and beans. Arrange the salad leaves on plates, spoon over the dressing, and scatter with chopped herbs.

Cook’s notes:
– Exact quantities are not critical – be guided by your eye and personal taste. The aim is to have a harmonious balance of flavours – taste as you go.
– Use the smaller and sweeter early season broad beans, replacing with French or runner beans as the season progresses.
– Use new season’s fresh ‘wet’ garlic for this salad. Super easy to grow.
– All the fragrant leafy summer herbs are good for this salad: chervil, dill, coriander.
– Radish leaves add a mild peppery note: wash, tear into pieces and add to the salad leaves.
– Eat at room temperature, not chilled: cold reduces the flavour of all vegetables and herbs.

Nutrition and well-being:
Summer Savory, also known as the bean herb on the Continent and America, helps aid digestion and stimulates the appetite. It can replace both salt and pepper and is a great help to those on a salt-free diet.

Broad beans are super-nutritious, rich in fibre, vegetable protein, and a valuable source of essential B vitamins, the building blocks of a healthy body, and hugely important for energy levels and well being.

Gardening notes:
Summer savory, Satureja hortensis , is an annual herb, that belongs to the mint family, and easy to grow from seed. Related to thyme , it has a thyme like flavour, and is often used as a companion plant against black fly for broad beans.

Photographs Lee Parish (from top left):

1 – cooked and drained potatoes.

2 – making the dressing in a jam jar.

3 – using a vegetable peeler to make courgette ribbons.

4 – podded broad beans.

5 – summer savory.

6 – Enjoy!