An easy and delicious spring salad, you will need to prepare the artichokes using the simple steps below.
4 large or 8 small artichokes
12 asparagus spears
400g of new potatoes
a handful of small radicchio leaves (or any bitter salad leaf)
4-5 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
2-3 tbsp of red wine vinegar
salt and pepper
juice of two lemons
Prepare the artichokes
You'll need a pot of cold water with the juice of two lemons squeezed into it to stop the artichokes from discolouring.
Take a sharp paring knife and cut off the top two or three centimetres of the artichoke, removing some of the tougher outer leaves by hand. Leave a good finger-length of stalk at the base - it's quite delicious when cooked - and trim away any small leaves attached to it. Put each artichoke in the pot with the acidulated water.
Place a dinner plate on the artichokes to submerge them so they will cook evenly and keep their colour. Bring the water to the boil, turn down to a simmer and cook until tender.
You can test to see if they are done by pushing a sharp knife into one of the hearts; if it penetrates with just a hint of resistance, the artichoke is perfectly cooked.
Take them out of the pot and place them in a tray, stems up, to drain and cool. Remove any tough outer leaves; trim the stem and the top.
For salad
Cut each one into bite-sized wedges and place in a large bowl.
Blanch 12 asparagus spears in boiling, salted water for 2 minutes, refresh by plunging into ice water, then cut into 3-4cm pieces and add to the artichokes.
Boil 400g of new potatoes - use small chats or kipflers - in their skins.
Cool, peel, cut into bite-sized pieces and add to the bowl. Add a handful of small radicchio leaves (or any bitter salad leaf) and toss with 4-5 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil, 2-3 tbsp of red wine vinegar, salt and pepper.
Serve immediately.
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