Allotment Salad Recipes

DRESSED ALLOTMENT SALAD

Steps:

• For the salad cream: whisk all ingredients together with a pinch of salt. (Make it several hours ahead and it will thicken naturally.) 2 Cook the potatoes in a large pan of boiling salted water for about 15 mins until tender when prodded with a fork. With about 8 mins left, drop the eggs in and cook together with the potatoes. Drain and set aside to cool, then slice the potatoes and peel the eggs.
• Cook the runner beans in boiling salted water for 4-5 mins until just cooked, then drain and refresh in iced water. Drain again and set aside.
• Break the lettuce into leaves, wash and spin if necessary. Line a large salad bowl with the leaves, then in a separate bowl toss all the vegetables together with the oil. Pile the vegetables on top, then quarter the eggs and place around the outside. Serve the salad cream on the side for spooning over.

CHOPPED ALLOTMENT SALAD

Steps:

• Mix all the dressing ingredients together with a little seasoning - the easiest way is to pop everything in a jar and give it a good shake.
• Lightly toss together the peas, cucumber, radishes and celery. Snip in the chives and cress, and scatter over the mint.
• Pop a lettuce leaf or 2 into 10 teacups (or arrange in a big salad bowl), then chop the remaining leaves and mix these through the rest of the salad. Divide between the cups, and chill until ready to serve.
• To serve, scatter over the edible flowers, if you like, and drizzle a little dressing over the salads - or put out the jar of dressing for everyone to help themselves, just give it another good shake first.

SPRING LAMB SKEWERS WITH LIGHTLY PICKLED ALLOTMENT SALAD

Steps:

• Pound the garlic with a large pinch of sea salt using a pestle and mortar, or the back of a knife, then whisk with the oil, vinegar and thyme in a bowl. Set aside 1 tbsp of the marinade, then mix the rest through the lamb so that it's well coated. Cover and marinate for at least 2 hrs or overnight in the fridge. If you're using wooden skewers, soak them in cold water first for 30 mins.
• About 30 mins before you cook the lamb, combine all the vegetables in a bowl, season with salt and the sugar, then add the vinegar and toss through the dill. Set aside. Can be made and chilled the day before.
• Thread the meat onto the soaked wooden or metal skewers and heat a barbecue or griddle pan until hot. Cook the skewers for 3-4 mins on each side until well charred, basting with the reserved marinade. Serve the skewers in a pile with the salad on the side.

SUMMER ALLOTMENT SALAD WITH ENGLISH MUSTARD DRESSING

Steps:

• Bring a pan of salted water to the boil, simmer the potatoes for about 10 mins until tender, then leave to steam-dry until warm.
• Meanwhile, whisk together all the dressing ingredients, then halve the warm potatoes and toss through the dressing. Take the potatoes and other ingredients to the picnic separately, then toss everything together to serve.