Spring Vegetable Salad

Ingredients

• 1.8 asparagus, blanched until just cooked; skin left on; refreshed in iced water
• 2.4 pink-eye potatoes, medium; boiled, peeled and sliced
• 3.1 red capsicum, roasted in 200ºC oven until skin blisters; steamed in plastic bag; peeled and seeded
• 4.1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 5.artichoke hearts, 2 whole (prepared) or jarred preserved artichoke hearts; halved
• 6.shallot dressing, from the recipe below; 4 dessertspoons
• 7.virgin olive oil, to drizzle
• 8.rocket, arugula/rocket; to garnish
• 9.black pepper, freshly ground; to garnish
• 10.1 shallot, chopped; for shallot mayonnaise
• 11.15 millilitre fresh herbs, e.g. parsley, chervil, dill, basil; for shallot mayonnaise
• 12.1 egg, soft-boiled; for shallot mayonnaise
• 13.5 millilitre Dijon mustard, for shallot mayonnaise
• 14.lemon juice, juice of ½–1 lemon; for shallot mayonnaise
• 15.125 millilitre olive oil, for shallot mayonnaise; added slowly
• 16.salt, to season mayonnaise
• 17.black pepper, to season mayonnaise

Method

1. 1.Make the shallot mayonnaise: chop the shallot and herbs and blend in food processor. Add the egg, mustard and lemon juice and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Slowly add the olive oil with the processor running and process until emulsified.
2. 2.Blanch the asparagus in lightly salted boiling water until just cooked, leaving the skin on. Refresh in iced water. Set aside.
3. 3.Roast the capsicum in a very hot oven until the skin blisters. Refresh in iced water in a plastic bag. When cool enough to handle, peel off the skin and clean out the seeds. Slice 1 cm slices, reserving liquid from inside the capsicum.
4. 4.Assemble the salad on four plates, starting with the potatoes, halved, in the centre. Arrange the asparagus spears over the salad. Arrange the artichoke half to one side and the onion slice on top.
5. 5.Divide the capsicum and divide the capsicum juices between the plates. Drizzle a little virgin olive oil over the salad and put a spoonful of dressing on the potato. Garnish with the arugula and freshly ground black pepper between the plates.

Notes

• From the 'Plates' South African cookbook — 'light plates' section (photocopied page inserted into family collection).
• Pink-eye potatoes = a South African/Australian waxy variety; substitute any waxy new potato.
• Capsicum = bell pepper.