Spring driven thing

A couple of items turned up in my veg box this week that strictly aren’t in season, but given that Riverford have organic farms both in the south of France and in Spain, the growing season is somewhat extended. Anyway I’m not complaining as I happen to love both of these vegetables and they inspired a springtime salad of autumnal veg, if you get my meaning. Juicy sweet butternut squash and delicate aniseed fennel, what a great combination, add a little mint and some nutty flavoured dressing, perfect. This is super easy, can be prepared in advance and then just thrown together. It makes a lovely stand-alone lunch or goes perfectly with some grilled fish, try some fresh Mackerel!

 Butternut squash, fennel & potato salad

Serves: 4

• 1 x butternut squash 
• 2 medium sized fennel bulb 
• 300g potato 
• 100g walnuts 
• 8 mint leaves 
• Rocket & watercress leaves
• Lemon juice 
• 3 tbsp olive oil 
• 2 tsp Sesame oil 
• Brown rice vinegar, a dash 
• Salt & pepper 

Peel & deseed the butternut squash, cut into small 1-2cm chunks. Plunge into boiling water and blanch for a few minutes to soften. Drain and set aside. Similarly cut the potato (you can leave the skin on , especially if using small new potato) into small 1-2cm chunks and again blanch these in boiling water to soften, drain and set aside. Cut the fennel bulbs in halve and steam (place in a colander above the boiling potato is a good idea) until just getting tender. When the fennel is done, remove from the steamer and slice across the bulb into thick slices, set aside.

Heat a large frying pan, add some olive oil and quickly brown the chunks of butternut, potato and fennel in small batches until crisp and coloured, set aside on kitchen paper. Brown the walnuts until crisp and golden and again set aside. 

In a large salad bowl mix the sesame oil, brown rice vinegar, tbsp olive oil, salt, pepper and lemon juice together to form a dressing, taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Place butternut, potato, fennel and walnuts in the bowl so there is a nice balance of ingredients, add the rocket and watercress leaves and tear some mint leaves into the bowl. With a spoon mix & toss everything together until it is all coated with the dressing, add another squeeze of lemon juice, adjust seasoning and serve.