Salad of baby beets, broad beans and goats cheese

We love the arrival of broad beans to signify the warm weather! This salad is a firm favourite of ours, with its contrasting flavours and textures.

Fresh from the garden: broad beans, beetroot, beetroot leaves, lettuce leaves, marjoram, garlic
Recipe source: Melissa
Serves: 6 at home or 24 tastes 

What to do:

• Cut the leaves from the beetroot, leaving about 2cms of stalk. Reserve any small leaves.
• Gently scrub the beets under water to remove any dirt and place them in the saucepan with cold water to cover by about 5cm. Heat on high with lid on and boil for 20 minutes until soft when pierced with a skewer.
• Fill the other saucepan with water and set on high to boil.
• Pod the broad beans, discarding the outer shell into the compost and add beans to the boiling water. Fill a large bowl with cold water and have ready.
• Boil the broad beans for 3 minutes, drain and then immediately refresh in the bowl of cold water. Drain again and double-pod by slipping the outer shell off into the compost. Put the beans into a medium bowl.
• Carefully separate out, then wash the lettuce and beetroot leaves and spin dry. Break up into smaller pieces with your hands if needed, then roll up into a kitchen paper-lined tea towel & place in the fridge until needed.
• Wash, dry and pick the marjoram leaves and reserve for the garnish.
• Squeeze the garlic through the garlic press into a large bowl, then mix in the balsamic vinegar and olive oil, season with salt and pepper and stir together gently.
• Meanwhile when the beetroot are soft, drain the saucepan and fill with cold water to cool the beets. When cool to handle, slide off the skins and root and thinly slice the beetroot. Add the slices to the dressing and toss to soak.
• To finish, divide the salad leaves among your serving plates and scatter the beetroot slices on top. Scatter the broad beans over the top, then remove the wrapping from the goats’ cheese and dab chunks of cheese over each salad. Drizzle over the remaining dressing, sprinkle with the marjoram and serve.