This is at the peak of perfection when the vegetables are still slightly warm.
Ingredients
—400g (14 oz) small or salad new potatoes Salt 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil Flaky sea salt Freshly ground black pepper 200g (7 oz) slim green beans, trimmed 1 Tbsp lemon juice 1 Tbsp creamy Dijonnaise mustard 1 Tbsp plain unsweetened yoghurt 1 large or 2 medium (about 500g / a good lb) fennel bulbs 2 Tbsp parsley leaves, torn 20 pitted black or pimiento-stuffed green olives, halved or cut into fat strips, or a mix of both 1 Tbsp small mint leaves
Method
—1 Steam or boil the potatoes until tender (salt the potatoes if steaming, or the water, if boiling). Cool then halve. Heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in a medium-sized frying pan or skillet over medium to lowish heat and add potatoes cut side down. Season with flaky salt and pepper and cook until lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Turn carefully and brown the rounded sides as best you can. Turn off the heat and cool potatoes for 10 minutes.
2 Plunge beans into a saucepan of boiling salted water and cook for about 5 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Drain and refresh with cold water, then pat dry with paper towels.
3 Whisk 2 tablespoons of oil, lemon juice, mustard, 1 teaspoon flaky salt, freshly ground pepper to taste. Whisk in yoghurt. Toss beans with a little dressing.
4 Trim fennel, cut bulbs in half and either slice thinly with a sharp knife or using a mandoline. Sprinkle with sea salt, then toss fennel with most of the dressing, adding most of the parsley and the olives. Layer beans, fennel mix and potatoes. Scrape any juices remaining in the bowl over the salads. Scatter with mint and parsley and serve.
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