One of the things that sticks in my mind from my work with the First 1,000 Days team is the importance of starting life eating well and continuing that way. Eating two portions of oily fish regularly is a good idea. Salmon fits the bill. I use organic salmon supplied to us from Clare Island.
I am also a big fan of sea trout, which you could use in this recipe. You could also try courgettes or sprouting broccoli instead of the asparagus if you like. This is also the time of year when you begin to see small vine tomatoes at farmers’ markets.
Asparagus wrapped in Parma ham celebrates the coming of spring with the first Irish asparagus, which is in season for roughly eight weeks. These are spears of green asparagus but the white is coming into season and you will get it in specialised vegetable shops and it is well worth trying. You could also used smoked bacon instead of the Parma ham.
This tapenade keeps well in the fridge for up to a week. It is a great dressing and goes well with lamb, beef, grilled fish or chicken. A nice touch to finish off this dish is to drizzle it with one of the flavoured oils from Donegal Rapeseed. The lemon would be good. Happy cooking.
Roast salmon with asparagus & tomatoes
Serves four
800g baby new potatoes, scrubbed4 tbsp Donegal Rapeseed oil16 asparagus spears, trimmed and halved200g small cherry tomatoes2 tbsp balsamic vinegar4 x 150g (5oz) salmon fillets, no scalesSea salt and freshly ground black pepperHandful of fresh basil leaves, to garnishMethod:
1 Preheat the oven 220°C (425°F/gas mark seven). Tip the potatoes and two tablespoons of the rapeseed oil into a large roasting tin. Roast for 20 minutes until they are just starting to brown. 2 Remove the roasting tin from the oven and add the asparagus and cherry tomatoes, then drizzle over the balsamic vinegar. Nestle the salmon fillets among the vegetables and drizzle over the remaining oil. 3 Return to the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes until the salmon is just cooked through – the exact cooking time will depend on the thickness of the salmon fillets. 4 Scatter over the basil leaves and serve straight to the table. Parma ham-wrapped asparagus with tapenade
Serves four
20 small asparagus spears, trimmed20 slices of Parma hamFor the tapenade:
225g (8oz) pitted black olives, marinated in olive oil and drained40g (1½oz) capers, drained and rinsed6 fresh basil leaves, torn1½ tsp red wine vinegar1 tsp Dijon mustard85ml (3fl oz) Donegal Rapeseed oil, plus a little extra2 tbsp chopped, fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional)Sea salt and freshly ground pepperMethod:
1 To make the tapenade, place the olives, capers and basil in a mini food processor or liquidiser. Add the vinegar, mustard, rapeseed oil and half a teaspoon of pepper. Blend until almost smooth, allowing some texture to remain. Fold in parsley, if using, and season to taste. Transfer to a bowl and cover with clingfilm, then chill until ready to use. 2 Cook the asparagus spears for three to six minutes, depending on their size, in a large pan of boiling water or in a steamer standing in 7.5cm (3in) boiling water until just tender. Drain and quickly refresh in a bowl of ice-cold water, then set aside until completely cool. 3 Spread some of the tapenade on each slice of Parma ham and wrap around each cooked asparagus spear. Arrange on plates or one large platter. Drizzle over a little extra rapeseed oil and add a grind of pepper to serve.
One of the things that sticks in my mind from my work with the First 1,000 Days team is the importance of starting life eating well and continuing that way. Eating two portions of oily fish regularly is a good idea. Salmon fits the bill. I use organic salmon supplied to us from Clare Island.
I am also a big fan of sea trout, which you could use in this recipe. You could also try courgettes or sprouting broccoli instead of the asparagus if you like. This is also the time of year when you begin to see small vine tomatoes at farmers’ markets.
Asparagus wrapped in Parma ham celebrates the coming of spring with the first Irish asparagus, which is in season for roughly eight weeks. These are spears of green asparagus but the white is coming into season and you will get it in specialised vegetable shops and it is well worth trying. You could also used smoked bacon instead of the Parma ham.
This tapenade keeps well in the fridge for up to a week. It is a great dressing and goes well with lamb, beef, grilled fish or chicken. A nice touch to finish off this dish is to drizzle it with one of the flavoured oils from Donegal Rapeseed. The lemon would be good. Happy cooking.
Roast salmon with asparagus & tomatoes
Serves four
800g baby new potatoes, scrubbed4 tbsp Donegal Rapeseed oil16 asparagus spears, trimmed and halved200g small cherry tomatoes2 tbsp balsamic vinegar4 x 150g (5oz) salmon fillets, no scalesSea salt and freshly ground black pepperHandful of fresh basil leaves, to garnishMethod:
1 Preheat the oven 220°C (425°F/gas mark seven). Tip the potatoes and two tablespoons of the rapeseed oil into a large roasting tin. Roast for 20 minutes until they are just starting to brown. 2 Remove the roasting tin from the oven and add the asparagus and cherry tomatoes, then drizzle over the balsamic vinegar. Nestle the salmon fillets among the vegetables and drizzle over the remaining oil. 3 Return to the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes until the salmon is just cooked through – the exact cooking time will depend on the thickness of the salmon fillets. 4 Scatter over the basil leaves and serve straight to the table. Parma ham-wrapped asparagus with tapenade
Serves four
20 small asparagus spears, trimmed20 slices of Parma hamFor the tapenade:
225g (8oz) pitted black olives, marinated in olive oil and drained40g (1½oz) capers, drained and rinsed6 fresh basil leaves, torn1½ tsp red wine vinegar1 tsp Dijon mustard85ml (3fl oz) Donegal Rapeseed oil, plus a little extra2 tbsp chopped, fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional)Sea salt and freshly ground pepperMethod:
1 To make the tapenade, place the olives, capers and basil in a mini food processor or liquidiser. Add the vinegar, mustard, rapeseed oil and half a teaspoon of pepper. Blend until almost smooth, allowing some texture to remain. Fold in parsley, if using, and season to taste. Transfer to a bowl and cover with clingfilm, then chill until ready to use. 2 Cook the asparagus spears for three to six minutes, depending on their size, in a large pan of boiling water or in a steamer standing in 7.5cm (3in) boiling water until just tender. Drain and quickly refresh in a bowl of ice-cold water, then set aside until completely cool. 3 Spread some of the tapenade on each slice of Parma ham and wrap around each cooked asparagus spear. Arrange on plates or one large platter. Drizzle over a little extra rapeseed oil and add a grind of pepper to serve. 
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