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All summer salad

All summer salad for web

This is a salad I make from May to September, while the days are warm. I start making it as the asparagus and new potatoes arrive, and stop when the nights begin to draw in, varying the vegetables with the seasons.

Duration
30 mins
Serves
4
All summer salad for web

Ingredients

  • 500g new potatoes
  • 4 organic eggs
  • 100g Kalamata olives
  • 1 small cucumber
  • 300g ripe tomatoes
  • 200g summer green veg (asparagus, runner beans etc)

FOR THE DRESSING

  • 3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons wholegrain mustard
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon runny honey

TO FINISH

  • chopped soft herbs eg, dill, flat least parsley, oregano and lovage 
  • lemon zest

  1. Cook your potatoes

    First put your new potatoes into a medium saucepan with a good pinch of sea salt and cover with cold water – you want a good amount of water here, as you will be adding other things to the pan later. Bring the potatoes to the boil, then allow to simmer for 12–20 minutes (depending on their size) until cooked though and crushable with the side of a spoon.

  2. Boil your eggs (if you're adding them)

    In another small pan bring some salted water to a rolling boil, add the eggs and boil for 6 minutes, so that the middles are only just set. If you’d like them hard-boiled, go for a minute more. Crack the shells on a hard surface then run them under cold water for 30 seconds to stop them cooking, then leave to cool.

  3. Chop the tomatoes

    Roughly chop the tomatoes into different-sized pieces and sprinkle over a good pinch of salt out them into a large bowl, big enough to dress everything in.

    Whisk together all the dressing ingredients, then taste and season. You want it to be quite punchy, as it will mellow when it hits everything else.

  4. Cut the cucumber

    If using a large cucumber halve it down the middle, use a teaspoon to scoop out the watery seeds in the middle, then cut it into chunky slices. If using baby ones just cut into chunky slices there is not need to scoop seeds out and keep in the fridge until you are read to eat.

  5. Cook the green veg

    When your potatoes are nearly cooked, add the green veg to the pan and cook for the final 3–4 minutes. Drain everything and leave to steam dry. Once the potatoes have steamed away all of their moisture, add them to the bowl while they are still warm, and pour over the dressing. Use the back of a spoon to lightly crush the potatoes and allow them to split and soak up some of the dressing.

  6. Finish

    Peel the eggs, half or quarter them, then dot over the bowl add the cold cucumber and finish with some chopped herbs or lemon zest.

Additional information

Best eaten fresh but leftovers can be stored in an airtight containers in the fridge for up to 2 days.

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