Beans and asparagus with dukkah dressing

My dear friend, Ida Marie, is visiting with her brand-new husband of 6 weeks. Ida and I met about 12 years ago in Milan, where we immediately bonded over our mutual passion for food and a disdain for the industry that was paying our trip. We have since shared quite a few great meals and many trusted recipes. Thankfully, the weather has remained fantastic and we have managed to squeeze in a couple of BBQ's with our guests. This salad was a wonderful accompaniment to the ostrich meat we grilled.



Dukkah, which is found in every household in North Africa and the Middle East, is a fragrant blend of ground nuts, spices and seeds. Recipes do vary (I used a truly South African Biltong dukkah for this recipe), but they all taste heavenly. One way of enjoying dukkah is to dip fresh bread in olive oil, and then in the spice mix. You can also sprinkle it over roast vegetables.


Ingredients

450 - 500g combination of yellow beans, young asparagus stalks and green string beans
2 cloves garlic, crushed
small bunch dill, finely chopped
15 - 20 sage leaves, finely chopped
tiny knob of butter
1 1/2 Tbsp Biltong or Egyptian dukkah
zest of 1 lemon
30g pine nuts, lightly toasted
fresh sprouts, such as alfalfa, to garnish

For the dressing
3 Tbsp cold-pressed olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
3/4 tsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp Dijon (or other hot) mustard
freshly ground rock salt


Method

1. Steam the yellow and green beans until tender, then refresh under running cold water. This helps to preserve the vibrant green colour.
2. While the beans are steaming, pour boiling water over the asparagus and leave for a couple of minutes. Then drain and refresh under cold water. Leave the beans and asparagus in a colander to dry.
3. Next, fry the chopped sage in a tiny amount of butter. Be careful not to let it burn.
3. Put all the ingredients for the dressing into a jar and screw on the lid tightly. Shake until the dressing emulsifies.
4. Combine the rest of the salad ingredients including the sage with the vegetables, pour the dressing over and toss.
5. Serve topped with fresh sprouts.