Spring Veg & Mozzarella

‘You can trade in the mozzarella for burrata here, if it takes your fancy! You can also roast the greens if you like. I love them blanched because the result is so fresh and tastes like springtime, but it’s just

as delicious with them charred.’ – Elena Silcock, author of Salads Are More Than Leaves

300g (10& 1/2oz) asparagus spears

300g (10 & 1/2oz) sugar snap peas

200g (7oz) frozen peas

2 courgettes

30g (1oz) soft herbs – I used a mixture of flat leaf parsley, tarragon and dill

3 125g (4 1/2) balls of mozzarella cheese

1 lemon

salt and pepper

DRESSING

Green Sauce or Salsa Verde or Lemon &

Olive Oil

TOPPERS

50g (1 & 1/2oz) nuts – I used flaked almonds

1] Toast the nuts. Meanwhile, make the dressing of your choice.

2] Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, and fill a bowl with iced water. Snap the woody ends off the asparagus, then add along with the sugar snaps to the boiling water and cook for 4 minutes. Add the peas and cook for another 30 seconds. Drain and plunge into the iced water. Once cooled, drain and set aside on kitchen paper to dry.

3] Finely slice the courgettes and put in a large mixing bowl. Pull the herb leaves from the stems and add most of them to the bowl. Add the drained veg along with half of the dressing. Finely grate the zest of the lemon into the bowl, then halve and squeeze in the juice of one half. Toss, taste and season with salt and pepper, then transfer to a platter.

4] Snuggle the mozzarella balls into the salad, then tear open and season them with a little salt. Drizzle over the remaining dressing and finish with the remaining herb leaves and roasted nuts. Add a crack of black pepper, then serve with the remaining lemon half for squeezing over if you think it needs a little more acidity.

This is an extract from Salads Are More Than Leaves by Elena Silcock