March 2009 - Chorizo, Asparagus & Kumara Salad with Green Chilli Dressing

My first choice in the penultimate issue for March was a recipe that I quite clearly remember Maggie Beer making on The Cook and The Chef. It is a Leek & Aubergine (Eggplant) Tarte Tatin and it looks so good. I was keen to make it with my own home grown eggplants. I did manage to harvest some from them this year. Although I accidentally planted the finger eggplants instead of the regular kind. The plants were loaded with little ones but I guess that I should have thinned them out because it all got too heavy and the branches broke off and that was the end of the eggplants. I would have bought an eggplant but on the day I went looking the were all a bit overripe, soft and sad looking.

I then planned on making the cover recipe, Thai Salmon Noodle Salad by Jill Dupleix. Salmon is one variety of fish that I do quite like. However the only portions of salmon that were available were very large so I decided that I would leave it for another day when I could get something a bit smaller (and therefore cheaper). At the same time as deciding to make the Thai Salmon Noodle Salad I also chose another salad recipe to make for a nice weekend lunch. So I ended up making Chorizo, Asparagus & Kumara Salad with Green Chilli Dressing by Tom Kime. I had most of the ingredients already. I almost always have chorizo in the fridge as it comes in so handy and is very tasty. I also keep kumara (or sweet potato) on hand as I just love it both roasted and mashed. It is very nice roasted with a balsamic and sweet chilli glaze. I didn't have any green chillis but had some red chillis so I used them instead. I didn't use as much as suggested in the recipe, next time I will. It was so good that I will definitely be making it again.

Chorizo, Asparagus & Kumara Salad with Green Chilli Dressing

Ingredients:

• 2 kumara, peeled, cut into 3 cm chunks
• 2 tbsp olive oil
  
• 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed, cut into 3 cm lengths
• Juice 1/2 lemon
• 2 chorizo sausages, halved lengthways, sliced on an angle
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped
• 1/2 c chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 c rocket, roughly chopped (I used salad mix)
  

Green Chilli dressing:

• 2 green chillis, seeded, finely sliced
  
• Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 tsp caster sugar
• 1/4 c (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil (I would recommend using less, it was quite oily)
  

Method:

• Mix all the ingredients for the dressing and then set aside until required.
  
• Mix kumara and half the oil, season and bake in a 200 C oven until cooked, approximately 25 - 30 minutes.
  
• Heat the rest of the oil in a pan and quickly fry asparagus until lightly golden, season and add lemon juice then remove to a bowl.
  
• Fry chorizo in the pan until browned and then drain.
  
• Cool kumara slightly and then add all salad ingredients to the bowl with the asparagus.
  
• Add dressing, toss quickly and serve.