Spring starter

A great starter for spring, filled with delicious veggies based with a zingy sauce !

Hello dear readers,

If you want to amaze your guests, I suggest making this beautiful spring starter. It does require some time but you can prepare most of the ingredients in advance. This makes 2 big starters or 4 small ones.

Radish greens pesto

Ingredients:

- 1 bunch of radishes, separate the leaves from the radish itself;

- 4 tbsp olive oil, add more if your pesto isn’t liquid enough;

- 2 tbsp pine nuts;

- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional but will add the cheesy taste to your pesto);

- 1 tbsp lemon juice;

- 1 garlic clove - mashed with a garlic press;

- Salt and pepper.

Procedure:

1. Roast pine nuts in a dry pan.

2. In a mixer add all above-mentioned ingredients and pulse until your pesto becomes smooth.

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Yogurt sauce

Ingredients:

- 1 greek yogurt;

- 1/2 tsp lemon zest;

- 1-2 tsp zaatar;

- 1 tsp sumac;

- Salt and pepper.

1. Mix all ingredients together.

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Glazed radish and carrots

Ingredients:

- 1 bunch of radishes;

- 2 big carrots;

- 2 tbsp sugar;

- 2 tbsp butter;

- Water;

- Salt and pepper.

Procedure:

1. Peel your carrots and cut them in small rectangles.

2. Remove the stems of the radishes.

3. Add carrots in one pot with half the sugar and half the butter. Add water until it barely covers the carrots.

4. Do the same with the radishes in another pot.

5. Use one parchment paper to create a lid. Cut one parchment paper in half, then fold it twice to create a rectangle. Then, fold the longer part of the rectangle to create an accordion by folding it into same sized folds.

6. Cook the veggies on low heat with the parchment paper on top acting as a lid. The carrots are ready in about 10-15 minutes and the radishes 15 to 20 minutes.

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Asparagus

Ingredients

- 1 bunch of asparagus ;

- 1 small shallot or small onion;

- 1-2 tsp olive oil;

- Salt and pepper.

Procedure:

1. Cut off the base of the asparagus (inedible).

2. Cut off the head of the asparagus and cook separately in boiling salted water for 5 minutes (al dente result).

3. Chop the remainder of your asparagus into small bits.

4. In a pan, heat olive oil and fry your shallot or onion, and once translucent, add the base of the asparagus (not the heads) and fry for 10 minutes until they are cooked but still a tad al dente.

Plating:

1. Coat a thin layer of the yogurt sauce on your plate and form a full circle;

2. Delicately add your glazed vegetables and asparagus (heads and base)

3. Add a slither of pesto on the side of your plate.

4. Season with flakey salt and lemon zest.

Enjoy!

Audrey