Baby Vegetable Salad with Hazelnut Dressing

New season baby vegetables are particularly flavoursome and look very attractive at Shavuot time. I like to make this salad with a colourful mixture too. They develop from the same seeds as their bigger ‘brothers’ – the secret is the way they are grown. Spring water and harvesting them after two weeks instead of three to four months provides a more sophisticated way of eating vegetables.

Baby leeks, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, radishes, beetroots, turnips, courgettes are all good examples which are now readily available in your local supermarket.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes Serves: 6

Ingredients

250g miniature new potatoes – halved

150g baby carrots – scrubbed but not peeled, halved lengthways

150g baby turnips – trimmed

150g baby beetroots – cut in half

150g courgettes – cut in half, leave raw

Dressing

100g blanched hazelnuts – roasted and roughly chopped

2 tablespoons mustard

2 teaspoons honey

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

200g soft cream cheese

2 tablespoons each fresh mint leaves and basil leaves- leave whole Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1) Make the dressing by combining all the ingredients together. Set aside.

2) Cook the baby potatoes in boiling water for about 8- 10 minutes or until soft. Drain and set aside.

3) Cook the carrots, beetroots and turnips by either steaming for 8 minutes or cooking in boiling water. (Cook separately)

4) Combine all the cooked vegetables and raw baby courgettes in a salad bowl.

5) Stir the dressing into the cooked vegetables.

6) Season the cream cheese with salt and pepper and dollop onto the cooled salad.

To serve the stylish way: Sprinkle with fresh herbs and serve immediately.