Green Bean Salad

This is a substantial salad that looks great and tastes great.

You could serve this with chicken, fish, chickpeas, butter beans or lentils. It is ideal to make the day before and have leftovers for lunch the following day. (I have adapted a version by Yotam Ottolenghi)

INGREDIENCE

3 packs trimmed fine green beans

3 packs asparagus tips

1 pack samphire (seaweed)

2tbsp chopped fresh tarragon

2 garlic cloves crushed

Chilli grinder or 1 mild fresh red chilli deseeded and chopped

zest of 1 lemon

Nigella seeds or mixed seeds

2tsp coriander

1tsp mustard seeds

1 or 2 Tbsp Olive Oil (lemon flavoured if you have it)

Blanch the green beans for a couple of minutes until they are 'not raw' and immediately take them out of the pan & put into iced water and drain them and pat dry with kitchen paper.

Blanch the asparagus in the same way (put the them stalks down in the water so that the tops don't over cook) & cool and dry and with the beans

Samphire - follow the same blanching procedure as with the beans & asparagus

Combine these 3 ingredients in a mixing bowl

Put the mustard & coriander seeds in a small saucepan with the oil & heat up until they begin to pop & then pour over the vegetables.

Toss all together with the remaining ingredients and add salt if you wish.