Primrose Salad

Heritage carrots, spring leaves and wild primroses with a honey and tarragon dressing

Primroses grow abundantly in my garden and wildly everywhere in Spring. At this time of year I like to grab them before they go over and do a few things in kitchen with them; their gentle lemon and honey flavour lending them nicely to syrups and cordials, curds and crystallised as whole flowers on biscuits and cakes. They also make a very pretty addition to a salad. Here with a simple dressing of honey and lemon to compliment their soft fragrance.

Ingredients:

Heritage carrots; yellow, purple or orange
Early salad leaves; cos, little gem, rocket, sorrel
Foraged primroses and their young leaves
Fresh tarragon leaves
Honey
Extra virgin olive oil
French mustard
Lemon juice
Salt and pepper

Method:

– Peel and take long strips off the carrots with a speed peeler and place the strips into a bowl of cold water and place in the fridge for a few minutes to curl up and become crisp
– Separate, wash and dry your salad leaves
– Wash and dry your primrose flowers and baby leaves
– Pick and wash your tarragon
– Make the dressing by whisking together a spoonful of honey, the same of mustard and the juice of half a lemon with a good glug of olive oil, salt and pepper and 10-12 whole tarragon leaves
– Arrange your leaves, drained carrot curls and primrose leaves and flowers on a pretty flat plate, layering as you go to build up a beautiful plate
– Dress everything lightly with your dressing, avoiding the flower heads if you can as they will be the first to wilt
– Serve immediately