Meat Free Monday in spring can only mean one thing: asparagus! The asparagus season is short but plentiful, from mid-April until mid-June. At the cookery school we prefer to make asparagus as simply as possible: steamed, baked or, as in this recipe, griddled to perfection. It’s essential that the griddle is smoking before putting on the asparagus. It should be a brilliant green with a touch of burnt.
Here are more outstanding spring recipes to try, and we also offer many season-specific classes through the year.
Garden Salad with Griddled Asparagus and Almonds
Serves: 4
Dietary: Vegan Option
Ingredients
- 100g mix of watercress, spinach leaves and rocket
- 12 asparagus spears, trimmed
- 50g whole almonds
- handful of Italian flat leaved parsley
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Dressing
- 3 tbsps olive oil
- zest and juice of 1 un-waxed lemon
- 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
- 1 shallot, very finely chopped
- salt and pepper
- shavings of hard cheese
Method
- Griddle the asparagus until just softening, but still with a bite. Set aside.
- While the pan is still hot, toast the almonds until they release their natural oils and go slightly brown.
- Take off the heat and chop into small chunks. Set aside.
- Mix the salad leaves and the parsley together and place into a bowl. Mix in the asparagus and the almonds.
To make the dressing:
- Mix together the olive oil, lemon zest and juice.
- Add the sherry vinegar, finely chopped shallot and sea salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.
- Add shavings of hard cheese.
- Pour enough dressing on the salad to coat the salad leaves, asparagus and almonds.
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