THE SEASONAL TABLE: A TASTE OF MAY

Join Kathy Bishop and Tom Crowford on their West Country smallholding

May is a wonderful time of new life and green growth. Blue tits are nesting in the old apple tree, clouds of cow parsley decorate the hedgerows, a bird box offers shelter to a tree bumblebee colony and fox cubs are gambolling about the gooseberry patch, much to the disgruntlement of our geese. The warmer weather means it’s time for the sheep to be sheared, the bees to be checked for signs of swarming and the vegetable patch to rocket into production. Right now, it’s broad beans a gogo!

BROAD BEAN, POTATO AND RADISH SALAD WITH GARDEN HERBS INGREDIENTS Serves 4

300g podded broad beans

500g new potatoes, scrubbed

Small handful of garden mint leaves, chopped

Small bunch of radishes, sliced

A few fronds of dill

Small handful of pea shoots (optional)

Small handful of borage flowers (optional)

Freshly ground black pepper

For the dressing

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp sugar

6 tbsp sunflower oil

METHOD

1. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the broad beans for a few minutes until tender. Remove them with a slotted spoon and set aside in a bowl. Add the potatoes to the pan of water and boil for 20 minutes or until cooked through, then drain and steam dry.

2. While the potatoes are cooking, pop any large broad beans out of their jackets while they are still warm, but leave the smaller beans intact. Then make the dressing by whisking the mustard, vinegar, sugar and sunflower oil together until emulsified.

3. To assemble the salad, put the potatoes on to a large serving dish in a single layer, cutting big spuds in half as you do so. Sprinkle over the mint leaves and beans, and tumble everything together. Then roughly dollop over the dressing with a spoon. Tuck the radish slices (skin-side up) among the potatoes and tear over the dill. Scatter the pea shoots and borage flowers over the top (if using), and finish with a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper.

Discover more recipe ideas from Kathy and Tom on Instagram instagram.com/the_seasonal_table and their website theseasonaltable.co.uk