Mint for May
Layered potatoes & a charred spring onion dip
Broad beans pushed out of their fluffy blankets, blanched and dressed with olive oil and chives. New potatoes simply boiled with sprigs of mint then topped with pats of butter and flaky salt. Radishes shaved into paper-thin rounds, quick-pickled with lemon juice then tossed through bouncy handfuls of watercress. These are just a few timely examples that validate the old saying: “what grows together, goes together”. This saying feels especially apt at the moment as veg stands and herb gardens are looking more fresh and abundant than they have in months (very loooong months).
With “what grows together, goes together” in mind, today’s newsletter includes a recipe for layered potatoes with mint and lemon. It differs from potato dishes such as pommes Anna and dauphinoise, which call for floury potatoes so that the layers almost melt into one another, and instead uses new potatoes which hold their form to give more defined layers and more texture. And in a move that takes it even further from those altogether richer potato classics, here each layer of potatoes is topped with thin slices of onion, parmesan and olive oil rather than butter and/or cream. Once bronzed and crisped in the oven, the potatoes are then topped with lots of mint (plus any other leaves or herbs you fancy), lemon zest and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Today’s dispatch also includes a charred spring onion, mint (double mint, I should say - fresh and dried both play their part) and yoghurt affair which could be a dip to drag radishes through, could be a sauce which you dollop alongside baked fish, could be a base for roasted vegetables or could even be used in place of herby mayo for a fresher take on potato salad. See, what grows together, goes together.
Plus, I’m sharing my monthly deep dive recommendations, including the one and only Greek yoghurt (once you’ve tried this one, you’ll never look back) and an interesting read on why everyone on instagram is eating which I found entertaining, sad and fascinating, all in equal measure.
