Recipe of the week: Salad with asparagus, wild garlic and English pecorino

The asparagus season is now in full bloom, says events company Lettice Events, which champions sustainability and seasonality. Wild garlic also appears everywhere (you can even collect it yourself from damp forests, near rivers and streams). This lettuce is a prime example of how good produce can be easily treated to produce great results.

Makes two servings

ingredients

• 8 spears of asparagus (the thicker the better, preferably from the Wye Valley in the UK)
• 10 wild garlic leaves
• 1 lemon
• Some sourdough bread
• Lettuce leaves – any kind will do
• A small piece of pecorino cheese
• vinaigrette (see below)

For the vinaigrette

• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 4 tablespoons of a neutral oil (preferably grapeseed oil, otherwise sunflower)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• pinch of salt
• chanterelle

method

• Start making your croutons. You can do this in any form you like. We like to slice the bread thinly, place it on a baking sheet and drizzle generously with olive oil and sea salt, then bake at 180ºC for 7-8 minutes.
• Cut off the woody end of the asparagus (you can find this by bending the asparagus from below and slowly moving the spear up until you find the spot where it breaks off).
• Blanch your asparagus in two batches in boiling salted water for 30 seconds. Submerge in cold water, ideally with ice.
• Blanch your wild garlic leaves in water for two seconds to gently wilt and soften the tart garlic taste. Also, refresh yourself in the cold water to stop the cooking process.
• Dry your asparagus and wild garlic with kitchen towels.
• Cut your asparagus diagonally into bite-sized pieces and place the pieces in a bowl with your lettuce leaves.
• Drizzle with the vinaigrette and sprinkle with sea salt. Place your mixture on plates and place the wilted wild garlic leaves on top. Add your croutons and grate plenty of pecorino on top.

Lettice events Create recipes each month based on seasonal produce available in the UK.