Taste the Season

When the heat is on, a refreshing, thirst-quenching beverage is just the tonic. Select statement glassware that looks as delicious as the drinks you’re serving, pairing summer coolers with a crowd-pleasing salad that promises to tantalise everyone’s tastebuds.

YOU’LL NEED:

• Bunch of asparagus (preferably fine)

• Generous handful of green beans

• 200g of tenderstem broccoli

• 200g of peas or petit pois (fresh or frozen)

• 100g broad beans (fresh or frozen)

• 10 radishes, finely sliced

• ½ a finely shredded sweetheart cabbage

• 3 spring onions, thinly sliced

TO SERVE:

• Handful of fresh herbs - mint works well

• Lemon zest - optional

FOR THE DRESSING:

• 6 tbsp olive oil

• 1.5 tbsp vinegar (white wine or any vinegar you prefer)

• 1 tbsp lemon, juiced

• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard

• 1 tsp honey

• Pinch of salt

Before you start: Prepare a pan with boiling salted water, a large, clean bowl with ice water and a tray or chopping board with some kitchen paper laid out on it.

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METHOD:

Separately blanche each of the following vegetables so that they are just cooked. Depending on their stalk size, take 2-3 mins for the asparagus; 4-6 mins for the green beans and 3.5-4.5 mins for the tenderstem broccoli. Cook each vegetable in your boiling salt water. When draining, reserve the water in another pan, ready to reuse. Once drained, immediately plunge your cooked produce into the ice water and dry it on the kitchen paper you’ve laid out on your tray or chopping board.

Cook your peas for 1.5-2 mins, drain and transfer to a bowl. Then pop in the broad beans. Once they are cooled, take the time to shell your broad beans, removing their tough outer casing.

Transfer everything you’ve cooked so far into a big bowl.

Finely slice the cabbage, radish and spring onions. Add each of them to your big bowl as you go, tossing its contents regularly to ensure you have a good balance of each ingredient present in the final salad.

Make your vinaigrette, using an old jar that has been thoroughly washed and dried. Add all the ingredients to your jar and shake vigorously for about 20 seconds so that they form an emulsion. Taste the dressing to check you are happy with the balance. Different types of vinegar tend to vary in strength, so adjust accordingly.

Pour on the dressing and use your hands to gently toss the salad, making sure that every element is finely coated.

Tear some mint leaves and give the whole dish a final stir.

Transfer to your serving plate or bowl and offer any surplus dressing on the side.

For an extra hit of flavour and colour, sprinkle a little lemon zest over the top.