Asparagus, new potato, cheese and basil salad

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This colourful salad is packed with good things and fresh flavours and is easy to make. Served with bread, it makes a perfect lunch.

Ingredients

The best time to enjoy this salad is during the British asparagus season - from late April to mid-June.

500g (18oz) asparagus spears
Juice of ½ a lemon
4tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
225g (8oz) small British new potatoes, boiled and cut into quarters lengthwise, and tossed in a little olive oil
250g (9oz) cherry tomatoes cut in half
50g (2oz) stoned black olives halved
2 shallots finely chopped
1 large bunch of basil finely shredded
150g (5oz) of Gorgonzola or Dolcelatte cheese (this must be vegetarian if the dish is for veggies) crumbled
Sea salt and black pepper

Clean the asparagus and trim any white ends or peel with a vegetable peeler.
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, drop in the asparagus and blanch for 1-3 mins until just tender.
Drain and immerse in very cold water to prevent further cooking. This leaves the asparagus bright green.
Mix the lemon juice and olive oil together with the sea salt and black pepper. Add the cooked boiled potatoes, cherry tomatoes, olives, shallots and basil and toss together. Arrange the asparagus on a large platter or individual serving plates, spoon some of the potato mixture over the asparagus and garnish with the crumbled cheese.