Spring celebration salad

Don’t be put off by the long list of ingredients here. This salad using the season’s most exciting food. The homemade mayo is a treat with the softly boiled eggs and tender potatoes, but if you’re short of time, try adding a fresh egg yolk, a dash of extra virgin olive oil and 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard to shop-bought mayo.

SERVES 2 PREP 20 mins COOK 30 mins MORE EFFORT V 300g Jersey Royal new potatoes, scrubbed clean but not peeled, big ones cut in half

1 mint sprig

2 eggs

200g asparagus, woody stalks removed and saved 50g fresh peas, podded 4 tbsp mayonnaise (see recipe, right, or use shop-bought)

1 green apple (I used Granny Smith), cored and finely chopped

3 spring onions, finely sliced

1 tsp capers, drained

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp white wine vinegar 1 Little Gem lettuce, leaves washed and dried, heart split in two

3-4 handfuls of soft herbs (I used chervil, tarragon, parsley, mint and chives) For the garlic croutons 2 slices of sourdough or white baguette drizzle of olive oil

3 garlic cloves

1 Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Drizzle the bread with some olive oil and season, then roast in the oven, turning halfway through, for 12-15 mins or until crisp and golden. Once baked, rub with the raw garlic and break or cut into croutons.

2 Bring a pan of water to boil. Add the potatoes, mint and 1 tsp salt and simmer for 15 mins until the potatoes are tender. Don’t be afraid of overcooking them – they’re far better tender than chalky. Drain the potatoes and discard the mint sprig. 3 Meanwhile, bring another pan of water to the boil and lower the eggs into the water. Bring back to the boil and cook for 6 mins. Drain, then run the eggs under cold water to cool. Tap the eggs on the work surface and peel. 4 Bring another pan of salted water to the boil. Chop the asparagus spears into three and boil in the water for 3-4 mins until just tender. Scoop out with a slotted spoon and refresh in cold water. Bring the water back to the boil and add a pinch of sugar. Add the peas to the water and cook until tender (about 2-3 mins). Drain.

5 Toss the potatoes with the 2 tbsp mayo, apple, spring onions and capers. Whisk the olive oil and white wine vinegar together, season, then dress the lettuce and soft herbs along with the asparagus and peas. Spread the remaining mayo across your plate, top with the potatoes and dressed salad, halve the eggs and add more mayo, if you like. Garnish with the croutons and extra herbs.

GOOD TO KNOW healthy • vit c • iron • folate • fibre • 3 of 5-a-day

PER SERVING 685 kcals • fat 44g • saturates 5g • carbs 46g • sugars 10g • fibre 9g • protein 21g • salt 0.9g