Recipe for Health: Roasted Potato Salad With Asparagus and a Boiled Egg
Kimberley Hasselbrink, photographer and creator of the blog The Year in Food (www.theyearinfood.com), invites you to look at ingredients differently and let their colors inspire you. Her book, Vibrant Food (Ten Speed Press 2014), will stir you to think about produce in terms of color to reinvigorate your relationship with food. Her collection of recipes is based on seasonal produce and employs aesthetics, flavor and texture to build gorgeous but unfussy dishes throughout the year.
In this recipe, a handful of colorful vegetables and herbs are given heft with a pile of crispy new potatoes and a medium- boiled egg. The mellowed onion flavor of lavender-hued chive blossoms stands in for green chives in this celebration of spring, but feel free to use regular chives if you can’t get your hands on their blossoms. Softer-skinned sweeter new potatoes make their debut in the springtime—look for them at your local farmers’ market.
7 T extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 C finely chopped fresh basil
1/2 C finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 C freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 T finely chopped fresh tarragon
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 t fine sea salt, plus more to taste
2 pounds new potatoes, such as fingerling or yellow Finn, halved lengthwise
1/2 pound asparagus, sliced on the bias into 1/2-inch pieces
4 eggs, room temperature
2-3 radishes, sliced paper-thin
chive blossoms or chives for garnish
Recipe Key:
T = tablespoon
C = cup
t = teaspoon
Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit.
To prepare the herb sauce, combine 4 T of the olive oil with the basil, parsley, Parmesan, tarragon, garlic and 1⁄4 t salt. Set aside.
Toss the potatoes in 2 T of the olive oil. Arrange in a single layer, cut side up, on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with sea salt. Roast for about 25–30 minutes, turning them once, until fork tender but firm.
Meanwhile, prepare the eggs. Bring a
medium pot of water to a gentle boil. Using a
slotted spoon, carefully place the eggs in the
gently simmering water. Cook for 7 minutes,
or longer for a firmer yolk. Remove the eggs with the spoon and place in an ice water bath for about 3 minutes. Gently remove the shell from each egg and slice in half lengthwise.
Warm a large skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining T of olive oil and the asparagus. Sauté the asparagus for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
Combine the warm potatoes with the herb sauce. Add the asparagus and gently mix. Divide among four plates, placing one egg on each plate. Finish with a few radish slices and a sprinkle of chive blossoms. Serve warm. Makes 4 servings.
Source: Reprinted with permission from Vibrant Food (Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, California, 2014).