By Nadine Smith
Nothing says Spring like this delicious seasonal salad punctuated with the richness of a zesty salty tapenade.
Serves 4 for a lunch or light dinner.
Lemon myrtle & olive tapenade
Ingredients:
- 150g pitted Kalamata Olives
- 3 anchovy fillets
- 30g small salted capers rinsed and drained
- 2 tsp lemon myrtle flakes or equivalent lemon juice
- 30ml extra virgin olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper to season
Process the olives, anchovies, capers and lemon myrtle together in a food processor until well combined. With the motor running add the olive oil and process until a smooth paste is formed. Season with black pepper and refrigerate until required. Can be made up to 2 days in advance.
Asparagus salad
Ingredients:
- 8 stems of asparagus, trimmed and cooked quickly in boiling water, then refreshed in iced water to retain their bite
- 1 small cos lettuce, leaves separated
- 250g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 lebanese cucumbers, cut into irregular spears
- 100g feta, crumbled
- 4 slices of sourdough bread, toasted
- Extra virgin olive il, to drizzle over plated salads
Across four plates, create individual salads with the cos leaves, tomatoes, cucumber and asparagus. Spread the tapenade liberally over the sourdough toast, sprinkle with feta and drizzle with a little olive oil to finish.
Enjoy!
Nadine Smith is a contributing recipe writer for Slow Food Melbourne.