With such a short season, make the most of samphire whilst you can. Think about using it not just with fish. It makes for a great seasonal side along with other summer vegetables.
SERVES 4
- 250g cherry tomatoes
- 200g samphire
- 1kg broad beans in their pods
- 2-3 spring onions, trimmed & sliced thinly at an angle
- 2 thick-cut slices of day old bread
- Small bunch of flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
For the dressing
- Half a garlic clove
- 1 tbsp mayonnaise
- Half a lemon
- Olive oil
- Salt & pepper
- Preheat your oven to 120C/half a gas mark. Slice the tomatoes in half and lay face up on a baking tray. Season lightly with salt and pepper and a scant swish of olive oil. Cook in the oven for 40-50 mins – you want them lightly cooked and dried out to concentrate the sweetness.
- Trim any tough stalks from the samphire, blanch in boiling water for 60 secs, cool in iced water, drain and pat dry.
- Pod the beans, blanch in boiling water for 2-3 mins, cool in iced water and slip from their skins.
- For the croutons, cut the bread into 2cm squares, or pull into small coarse chunks. Turn the oven up to 200C/Gas 6, lay the bread on a shallow baking tray and season with olive oil and a small amount of salt. Toss the bread in the oil as if dressing a salad so that the bread soaks up as much oil as possible. Bake in the oven for 10-12 mins, turning once halfway through, until golden and slightly crisp.
- For the dressing finely crush the garlic with a small pinch of salt, add the mayo and a squeeze of lemon juice. Whisk together and thin into a dressing by adding olive oil. Add more lemon and seasoning to taste. Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl and throw together with the dressing.