• 2lb small new potatoes
• 1 fresh mint sprig
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 6oz streaky (fatty) or back (lean) bacon, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• 1 small bunch chives, chopped
• 1 tbsp wine vinegar, or cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
• salt and ground black pepper

Directions:

Scrape or rub off the skins from the new potatoes, and cook in salted water with the mint for about 10 minutes, or until just tender. Drain, cool a little, then turn into a salad bowl.

Heat the oil in a frying pan, then add the onion and cook gently until just softening. Add the diced bacon to the pan and cook for 3-5 minutes, until beginning to crisp up.

Add the crushed garlic and cook for another minute or so, and then add the chopped herbs, the vinegar and mustard. Season with salt and pepper to taste, remembering that the bacon may be quite salty.

Pour the dressing over the potatoes. Toss gently to mix and serve warm.

Variation- Finely chopped spring onions (scallions) can replace the chopped chives and/or chopped parsley, if you like.

• 2lb new potatoes
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, sliced into rings
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 mango, peeled, stoned (pitted) and diced
• 2 tbsp demerara (raw) sugar
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• salt and ground black pepper
• deep fried coriander (cilantro) leaves, to garnish

Directions:

Cut the potatoes in half, then cook them in their skins in boiling salted water until tender. Drain well.

Heat the oil in a frying pan (skillet) and fry the onion and garlic over a low heat for 10 minutes until they start to brown.

Stir in the ground cumin and coriander and fry for a few seconds. Stir in the mango and sugar and fry for 5 minutes, until soft. Remove the pan from the heat and squeeze in the lime juice. Season with salt and pepper.

Place the potatoes in a large bowl and spoon the mango dressing over. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve while the dressing is still warm. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Chef’s Tip- To prepare the mango, cut through the mango lengthwise on either side of the stone (pit) to slice off two sections. Leaving the skin on each section, cross hatch the flesh, then bend it back so that the cubes stand proud of the skin. Slice them off with a small knife. Peel the remaining central section of the mango, then cut off the remaining flesh in chunks and dice.

• 2lb small new or salad potatoes
• 2 tbsp hazelnut or walnut oil
• 4 tbsp sunflower oil
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup hazelnuts
• 15 pistachio nuts
• salt and ground black pepper
• flat leaf parsley sprig, to garnish

Directions:

Cook the potatoes in their skins in boiling salted water for about 10-15 minutes until tender. Drain the potatoes well and leave to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, mix together the hazelnut or walnut oil with the sunflower oil and lemon juice. Season well with salt and ground black pepper.

Using a sharp knife, roughly chop the hazelnuts and pistachios.

Put the cooled potatoes in a large bowl and pour the dressing over. Toss to combine. Sprinkle the salad with the chopped nuts and serve immediately, garnished with parsley.

• 2lb new potatoes
• 4 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp snipped chives
• a pinch of celery salt
• a pinch of paprika
• 12 quail’s eggs
• a few rocket (arugula) leaves
• salt and ground black pepper
• snipped chives, to garnish

Directions:

Boil the potatoes in a large pan of salted water for about 20 minutes or until tender.

Meanwhile, beat the butter and chives together with the celery salt and the paprika.

While the potatoes are cooking, boil the eggs for 3 minutes, then drain and plunge into a bowl of cold water. Peel the eggs under running water.

Arrange the rocket leaves on individual plates or a serving platter and top with the eggs.

Drain the potatoes and add the seasoned butter. Toss well to melt the butter and carefully spoon the potatoes onto the plates of rocket and egg. Garnish the salad with a few more snipped chives and serve immediately.

Chef’s Tip- You can buy bags of rocket, on its own, or mixed with other leaves, in many supermarkets. It is also easy to grow from seed and makes a worthwhile addition to a herb patch. Tiny quail’s eggs are available from larger supermarkets and butchers. They make an attractive addition to any salad. If unavailable, use hen’s eggs, quartered.

• 1 1/4 lb pink fir apple potatoes
• 3 1/2 oz feta cheese, crumbled

For the dressing:

• 1 cup natural (plain) yogurt
• 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• salt and ground black pepper

Directions:

Steam the potatoes over a pan of boiling water for about 20 minutes, until tender.

Meanwhile, make the dressing. Mix the yogurt and mint in a food processor and pulse until the mint leaves are finely chopped. Scrape the mixture into a small bowl, stir in the mayonnaise and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Drain the potatoes well and transfer them to a large bowl. Spoon the dressing over the potatoes and scatter the feta cheese on top. Serve immediately.

Chef’s Tip- Pink fir apples potatoes have a smooth waxy texture and retain their shape when cooked. Charlotte, Belle de Fontenay and other special salad potatoes could be used instead.

• 5 spring onions (scallions)
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 4oz asparagus tips
• 4oz mangetouts (snow peas), trimmed
• 4oz broad (fava) beans
• 2 little gem (bibb) lettuces
• 1 tsp finely chopped fresh tarragon
• salt and ground black pepper

Directions:

Cut the spring onions into quarters lengthwise and fry gently over a medium-low heat in half the butter with the garlic.

Add the asparagus tips, mangetouts and broad beans. Mix well to coat all the pieces with oil.

Add enough water to just cover the base of the pan, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to the boil, then allow to simmer gently for a few minutes.

Cut the lettuce into quarters and add to the pan. Cook for 3 minutes, then remove from the heat, swirl in the remaining butter and the tarragon, season and serve.

• 3-4 carrots
• pinch of sugar
• 3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin, or to taste
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 2-3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1-2 tbsp red wine vinegar or fruit vinegar, such as raspberry
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves or a mixture of coriander and parsley
• salt and ground black pepper
• fresh coriander (cilantro) sprigs, to garnish (optional)

Directions:

Thinly slice the carrots. Cook the carrots by either steaming or boiling in lightly salted water until they are just tender but not soft. Drain well, leave for a few moments to dry, then put then in a serving bowl.

Add the sugar, chopped garlic, ground cumin, lemon juice, olive oil and red wine vinegar to the carrots and toss them together. Add the chopped herbs and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm, garnished with coriander sprigs, if using.

• 1 lb baby beetroot (beet), preferably with leaves
• 1 tbsp olive oil

For the dressing:

• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp mirin or sake
• 8 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp creamed horseradish
• salt and ground black pepper

Directions:

Cook the unpeeled beetroot in boiling salted water for 30 minutes. Drain, add the olive oil and toss gently. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Place the beetroot on a baking sheet and roast for about 40 minutes or until tender when pierced with a knife.

Meanwhile, make the dressing. Whisk together the lemon juice, mirin, or sake, olive oil and horseradish until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Peel the beetroot, cut it in half, place in a bowl and add the dressing. Toss gently and serve immediately.

Chef’s Tip- This salad is probably at its best served warm, but you can make it in advance, if you wish, and serve it at room temperature. Add the dressing just before serving.

• 1 1/2 cups dried brown beans
• 3 fresh thyme sprigs
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 onion, halved
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 1/2 tsp crushed cumin seeds
• 3 spring onions (scallions), finely chopped
• 6 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 4 tsp lemon juice
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 3 hard-boiled (hard-cooked) eggs, roughly chopped
• 1 pickled cucumber, roughly chopped
• salt and ground black pepper

Directions:

Put the beans in a bowl with plenty of cold water and leave to soak overnight. Drain, transfer to a pan and cover with fresh water. Bring to the boil and boil rapidly for 10 minutes.

Reduce the heat and add the thyme, bay leaves, and onion. Simmer very gently for about 1 hour, until tender. Drain and discard the herbs and onion.

Place the beans in a large bowl. Mix together the garlic, cumin seeds, spring onions, parsley, lemon juice, and oil in a small bowl, and add a little salt and pepper. Pour over the beans and toss the ingredients lightly together.

Gently stir in the chopped hard-boiled eggs and pickled cucumber. Transfer the bean salad to a serving dish and serve immediately.

• 1 lb green beans
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 oz butter
• 1/2 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 cup fresh white breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1 hard-boiled (hard-cooked) egg, finely chopped

For the dressing:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 2 tsp white wine vinegar
• 1/2 garlic clove, crushed
• 1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
• pinch of sugar
• pinch of salt

Directions:

Cook the green beans in boiling salted water for 5-6 minutes, until tender. Drain, refresh under cold running water and place in a serving bowl.

To make the dressing, mix all the ingredients thoroughly together. Pour over the beans and toss.

Heat the oil and butter in a non-stick pan and fry the garlic for 1 minute. Stir in the breadcrumbs and fry over a medium heat for about 3-4 minutes, until golden brown, stirring frequently.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the parsley and then the egg. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the green beans. Serve warm or at room temperature.