Potato Salad with Roasted Spring Onion & Parsley Pesto

 

One of my favourite things about being a food blogger is occasionally getting to try out new products as they come on the market.  I'm totally okay with that!  The more the merrier.  This week I was sent some lovely fresh Spring Pesto's from the Well Seasoned people.

Food for the here and now, Well Seasoned is a small company that prides Itself on offering delicious fresh and seasonal Pesto's using only the freshest  British ingredients.  They have 8 seasonal varieties each containing  a combination of Kentish Cobnuts, cold pressed extra virgin rapeseed oil, Old Winchester Cheese and other fresh seasonal ingredients.
 











The first tub I tried was the Roasted Spring Onion and Parsley pesto.  Containing 49% roasted spring onions,  flat leaf parsley,  cob and hazelnuts, Old Winchester Cheese, oil, sea salt and cider vinegar it had a lovely smell.  I tasted some on the tip of my finger and it tasted pretty darned good.



I confess I was in the middle of making a potato salad when the box arrived.  I had been planning on making a blue cheese, bacon and spring onion potato salad, but as soon as I saw these pesto's I immediately changed my game plan!   They were so gorgeously coloured and I thought this roasted spring onion one would make a fabulous addition to my salad . . .





I took my original dressing and added a few TBS of the pesto to it, along with some chopped crisply fried bacon and some chopped fresh spring onions and we ended up with a very delicious salad indeed, which went down a real treat with both of us!

It was absolutely delicious!  Of course if you aren't able to get the Roasted Spring Onion and Parsley Pesto you can use another kind, but this roasted spring onion one was fabulous when used this way!

 

*Potato Salad with Roasted Spring Onion & Parsley Pesto*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

Deliciously different.

1 pound of salad potatoes
1/2 150g pot of Well Seasoned Spring Pesto, roasted spring onion & parsley variety
2 TBS cider vinegar
2 TBS cream
1 tsp sugar
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 fresh spring onions, finely sliced
4 rashers of dry cured streaky bacon, cooked and chopped (optional)

Cook your potatoes in a pot of lightly salted water for 10 to 15 minutes until knife tender.  Drain well and return to the pot. Shake over the burner to dry them out.  As soon as you can handle them cut them into quarters into a bowl.  Whisk together the pesto, vinegar, cream, sugar and a bit of seasoning.  Pour this over the potatoes and toss to combine.  Allow to stand for about 15 minutes.   Add the spring onions and bacon, if using.  Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.  Serve at room temperature.











Next up was the Wild Garlic Basil and Mint.  Wild woodland garlic combined with punchy basil and mint, this had a fabulously brilliant colour.  I can still remember the first time I smelled wild garlic.  We were on holiday down in the South of France and the area that we were in was filled with it.   A walk in the fields was always accompanied with this lovely smell.   Each year I plan on planting my own, but forget.  This year I vow to remember.



I had some leftover puff pastry left from the Bakewell Tart the other day and so I made some lovely little appetizer tarts with some of this fresh pesto.  There is no recipe actually.  I simply cut the pastry into 2 inch squares.  Using a sharp knife I cut a border around the edge of each square about 1/2 inch in and all the way around, cutting down only halfway through the pastry.



I dolloped about 1 tsp of the fresh pesto into the centre of each square and topped it with some chopped seeded fresh tomato.   A small cube of cheddar was popped on top and then I took my finger, dipped it into some more of the pesto and brushed it along each edge, which I then sprinkled with some coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper.



Placed on a parchment lined baking tray and baked for about 15 minutes in a hot (200*C/400*F/ gas 6|) oven, these were fabulous when out of the oven.  They would make a wonderfully quick and tasty appetizer!  Of course you could make larger ones for starters.  They would be brilliant cut into rounds and then placed onto a bed of spring baby salad greens and dressed with a french vinaigrette!!

In any case I have to say I am quite, QUITE hooked on these fresh pestos!  They were delicious and we quite enjoyed.   They are available at a few select locations around the London area as well as via  the post. (I was happy to find that out!)

Many thanks to the Well Seasoned people for sending me these to try.   I am happy to say they have a new fan in me!  All mail orders are shipped on Friday's via first class post in a chilled insulated box.   Mine arrived well chilled and fresh.  They also freeze well.  If you order before 5:30 on a Thursday you are guaranteed to have it by Saturday!   You can't get much better than that!