AUTUMNAL GREEN BEAN SALAD

AUTUMNAL 3 GREEN BEAN SALAD - FOR 4

So... my idea of an autumnal (spell check please) salad, is one that you could eat cold in the summer, hot in the winter, and sort of somewhere inbetween for the autumn, just to ease you in gently to those looming months ahead - when eating cold food is just not an option.

I thought I would go salad today, as I seem to have a MASSIVE meat feast ahead of me tonight... we are buying steaks from Ginger Pig, and Mr and Mrs P are buying theirs from Moens - and we are having a cook off - who will win?  I shall report back with results of where you can purchase the best steaks from Clapham.

But quite honestly, after last night at The Dairy, when I think we had to order the whole menu just to satisfy my insatiable hunger, I probably don't need to eat for a week.

So with this salad, I thee wed - it is delicious, can be knocked up in seconds, you don't need any dressing, just a little toss will do the job .... (to combine all the flavours of the seeds, herbs, spices).

INGREDIENTS

250g French beans
250g mangetout
250g broad beans (or in my case - peas)
2tsp coriander seeds (crushed with pestle and mortar)
2 tsp mustard seeds
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp nigella seeds
Small red onion - finely chopped
1 mild fresh chilli - deseeded and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves
grated zest of large lemon
2 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
A scattering of chard/lettuce leaves (optional)
sea salt


Boil some salted water.. and add the french beans/mange tout - for no longer than 3-4 minutes.  You want them still crunchy. Once drained, dab them with kitchen roll so they aren't damp, but keep the boiling water and add the peas for about 1 minute (no more!).  Add the peas to the other beans and put in a nice salad bowl/plate.

Put the crushed up coriander seeds, mustard and oil in a small saucepan and heat up. Once they start popping, pour them over the beans in the bowl.  Toss together, and then add the nigella seeds, red onion, chilli, garlic, lemon zest and tarragon, and a little salt to taste.

Just before you serve, you can gently fold in the extra leaves if you so wish.

See! So quick, and a real little pleasure on a plate!

Ps....

my little must see of the week - Sunshine On Leith - a joy (but only if you're not sitting next to Clapham's No1 nutcase)