Minted pesto, British asparagus and potato salad
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes
You’ll need
for the salad
250g cherry tomatoes halved
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 bundles British asparagus 500g new potatoes
salt and pepper for seasoning
for the pesto
mall handful fresh mint leaves
1 handful rocket leaves
30g walnuts ½ clove garlic
50ml olive oil, or enough to loosen the pesto
30g parmesan grated
lemon juice to taste
What to do
Halve the cherry tomatoes and place on a baking tray. Add garlic, sugar and balsamic vinegar and bake at 160°c/140°c fan for 1 hour. Remove from oven. If you’re pushed for time, use ready-to-eat sundried tomatoes instead of roasting your own.
Turn oven up to 200°c/180°c fan. Trim the ends of the asparagus and place on a roasting tray, drizzle with some oil, season and roast in oven for 6-8 minutes. Meanwhile boil the halved new potatoes until cooked through, drain and set aside.
Add the mint to a blender along with the rocket, walnuts and garlic, drizzle in the oil whilst blending until you have a loose consistency. Add the grated parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper and lemon juice to taste.
Dress the asparagus spears and potatoes with the pesto and scatter over some of the roasted cherry tomatoes.