As the warm weather hits us it's time to start our summer sides series!
This is the first and it's just perfect for any hot weather bbqs you plan on having this week. This dish absolutely screams sunshine to me, it has courgettes and sugar snap peas for freshness, and a peppery hit of the rocket alongside the bright fresh flavours of lemon and garden herbs.
Topped with a crunch of toasted nuts it’s a real treat, plus it's full of goodness!!
Serve warm or at room temperature
Dressing ingredients
A handful of fresh mint (approx. 10-15 leaves) finely chopped with a few spare for serving
3 fresh basil leaves – finely chopped
1 garlic clove – finely chopped or grated
salt and pepper
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon honey OR 1 teaspoon maple syrup if Vg
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Everything else
3 courgettes
1 packet sugar snap peas
Handful of pine nuts or toasted almond flakes
Handful rocket leaves
1 – Mix all the dressing ingredients together and set aside.
2 - Slice the courgettes lengthways on a mandoline (watch your fingers!), or with a flat vegetable peeler, into strips about 2-3mm thick. Place the strips in a colander over a bowl and season with a little salt; leave them to stand for about 5 minutes to extract any extra water (this will keep it nice and crisp) then give them a quick rinse with cold water and leave to drain and dry on some paper towel.
3 – Trim any wiry ends off the sugar snaps and pop in some salted boiling water and leave on a rolling boil for 2 minutes, drain the water out and blanch into cold water.
4 – In a small pan, gently toast off the pine nuts – make sure you keep an eye on them, as they can burn fast.
5 – On a platter arrange the courgettes, sugar snaps and rocket leaves and drizzle over the dressing, scatter the nuts on top and finish with some small fresh mint leaves.
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