Peasant Salad

This salad is a great easy standard that never disappoints, its a warm salad for those summer days when the weather refuses to play ball and is unseasonably cool. Since our new hens arrived egg production has rapidly increased so this salad features boiled eggs too, you can use what ever you have in the fridge and whatever is growing in the garden or you have been able to nab from the hedgerow.

Ingredients

• Bacon - either pancetta cubes or smoked streaky chopped in to small pieces
• Boiled egg - 1 per person - quartered
• New potatoes - ruffords / jersey's or similar - just make it local if you can - boiled until soft, keep warm
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Cucumber
• Salad leaves - rocket, lambs lettuce, purslane, etc
• Mushrooms - chopped finely and fried in a little oil until soft.
• Olive oil or rapeseed oil
• Balsamic vinegar or your favourite fruit vinegar

Method

• Assemble your salad leaves , boiled eggs on a plate
• Quickly fry your bacon till crispy in a little olive oil, then add the mushrooms back to the pan to warm through
• Drain your potatoes and put on your plate
• Scoop your bacon and  mushrooms  using a slotted spoon onto the plates sprinkling all over the salad
• Add balsamic to warm pan along with pan juices, swirl and then use to dress salad
• Delicious :-)