Recipe: Primavera Salad

Primavera in Italian means “spring style” and this salad showcases the best of spring produce. This is lovely as an accompaniment to fish or chicken, and makes a delicious entree served with smoked salmon.

Ingredients (serves 4):
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
Finely grated rind of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon sea salt
500g podded fresh or frozen broad beans
2 bunches of asparagus
250g fresh or frozen baby peas

Method:
1. Combine the olive oil, chopped parsley, lemon rind, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
2. Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil, add the broad beans and boil for 3 minutes. Remove the broad beans with a slotted spoon, drain and refresh with cold running water. Peel and discard the outer skins and place the broad beans into a bowl.
3. Snap the woody ends of each asparagus spear and trim the ends with a knife. Cut into 4cm pieces on the diagonal. Add to the boiling water together with the peas and cook for 2 minutes. Drain and refresh briefly with cold running water. Place in the bowl containing the broad beans. Pour over the dressing, toss, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
4. The salad can be served cold, at room temperature or warmed slightly in a microwave oven.