Recipes: Potato & Asparagus Salad with The Green Life

Posted by Claire Ragozzino

One of my favorite parts of food blogging is the opportunity to connect with incredible artisans, makers and culinary creators from around the world.  And if there’s one thing I’ve seen in this community – there are some seriously talented women out there shaping the way we eat, think and feel about food!  This series on the Vidya Living Journal highlights the kitchen goddesses out there who inspire me each day with their ingenuity of ingredients and artful presentation of nourishing cuisine.  This monthly “Seasonal Recipe Share” series will give us a peek inside each bloggers home recipe box and the many ways they each connect with their health through seasonal eating and living.

This month, Sophie Bourdon of The Green Life joins us from Canada to share her wisdom on eating seasonally. Sophie is a Toronto-based holistic nutritionist who left the corporate world in search of a life driven by passion, purpose and vibrant health. Her bright photography and mouthwatering plant-based recipes will equally leave you feeling passionate, purposeful and vibrant! It’s with great pleasure I welcome Sophie with her springtime Asparagus & Potato Salad recipe with homemade pickled radishes and creamy dill sauce…

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Thank you so much Claire for welcoming me in this beautiful space if yours! I came across Claire’s work about a year ago and instantly fell in love with her warm spirit, positive energy and incredible knowledge. I admire her genuine and conscious approach to food, self-care and healing. She is one of the people who inspires me the most in the holistic and wellness space, so having her ask me to share one of my favourite seasonal recipes with you here today is a great honor.
Seasonal eating is a concept that is still fairly new to me. For the biggest part of my life, I was shopping at supermarkets and wasn’t questioning where the food I was eating came from, in what conditions it was grown, how long ago it was harvested, or how many miles it travelled before ending up on my plate. It was only when I started to study holistic nutrition and to shift towards a predominantly plant-based diet that my eyes opened to the wonderful world of mindful and conscious eating.

Eating seasonally is now something I cherish deeply. I get so much joy and satisfaction from visiting the Farmers’ Market every Saturday. I’m excited to discover what new produce was harvested that week, and I love to get to know the people who grow the food I have the privilege to eat every day. It is both incredibly empowering, humbling and gratifying.This dish is a simple but glorious celebration of spring. It brings together pretty much all the good things I like about this season and everything I can wish for at this time of year. It’s fresh and clean, with the bright flavors of dill and lemon, but it’s also grounding and satisfying, with crispy potatoes tossed in a rich, creamy dressing. It’s punctuated with bursts of colorful and crunchy pickled radishes for a perfectly balanced finish. It’s a great transitional dish between the fresher days and the warm, sunny ones and it perfectly captures the beauty and unpredictable nature of this lovely season.

Notes on the recipe: This salad would make a great side dish but is filling enough to be served as a main. I like to serve it slightly warm or at room temperature. If you have a mandoline (I don’t), use it for the radishes – it will give you nice and thin slices. Otherwise a sharp knife works well too.

POTATO & ASPARAGUS SALAD
WITH PICKLED RADISHES + CREAMY DILL SAUCE

Pickled radishes
2 small radishes, thinly sliced (use a mandoline if you have one)
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar
1 tsp pure maple syrup

For the pickled radishes
Stack radish slices in a medium-sized jar. Mix vinegar, water and maple syrup in a small bowl and pour over the radishes to cover. Seal the jar and let marinate in the refrigerator while you prepare the other ingredients.

Creamy dill sauce
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds, soaked for at least 4-6 hours and rinsed
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp packed fresh dill, chopped + more for serving
1 tsp pure maple syrup or raw honey
1/4 tsp sea salt + freshly ground black pepper to taste
Water, to thin (I used about 1/4 cup)

While the potatoes are roasting, mix sunflower seeds, lemon juice, dijon mustard, dill, maple syrup, sea salt and pepper in a blender on high speed (or use an immersion blender). Add water, one tablespoon at a time, and blend until the desired consistency is achieved. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Salad
1 lb (450 g) small potatoes such as fingerling or new potatoes (I used a mix of both)
1 bunch (300 g) asparagus (about 25 spears)
1/2 tbsp coconut oil (or ghee) for cooking
Sea salt + freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the potatoes
Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Wash and scrub the potatoes with a vegetable brush to remove any dirt (no need to peel them) and slice them length wise.

In a bowl, toss the potatoes with coconut oil or ghee and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place the potatoes cut-side down on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them out evenly.

Roast until the bottoms are lightly browned, about 15-20 minutes (roasting time will vary according to the size of your potatoes – mine were quite small and were perfect after 15 minutes). Flip the potatoes over and roast again until golden and crispy, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven to cool slightly.

For the asparagus
A few minutes before the potatoes are done, prep the asparagus. Remove the tough end and slice into 4 thin pieces. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and blanch the asparagus for 3-4 minutes, until crisp-tender. (Alternatively, you could steam the asparagus in a vegetable steamer for about 3 minutes.) Rinse the asparagus under cold running water and drain.

To assemble
Toss together the warm potatoes and cooked asparagus. Top with pickled radishes. Drizzle with a generous portion of the creamy dill sauce and sprinkle with more chopped dill if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 2-3 as a main or 4-5 as a side

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Photo Credit: Sonia Bourdon Photographer