Watercress, Pink Fir Apple, Pistachio and Turkey Salad

I've wanted to try Pink Fir Apple heritage potatoes for ages now. Partly because of the name and partly because they look so funny and knobbly and interesting! I also think I was getting them confused with ones that are pink inside which I thought would be fun in a salad. So I was a little bit disappointed when I cut inside one to find they aren't!...........but I still think they have a lovely name....and they are great in salad because they are nice and waxy and flavourful.
To make this warm salad for two you will need:

• A large bunch of watercress
• A little radicchio chicory (optional)
• Four to six pink fir apple potatoes depending on size, or any other salad variety such as Charlotte.
• Two free-range eggs
• Two portobello mushrooms
• Two turkey breast fillets
• A handful of pistachio nuts or walnuts.
• Olive oil, grainy Dijon mustard and sea salt and crushed black pepper

Method:

• Scrub the potatoes well and cut into mouth sized pieces. Place in a saucepan, cover with cold water, season with salt and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and cook for about ten to fifteen minutes until tender.
• Boil the eggs. The length of time will depend upon how soft you like your eggs, so adjust to your taste.
• Wash the salad greens and arrange on dining plates. When the eggs are boiled cut into quarters length-wise and also arrange on the plate.
• Shell the pistachio's and put to one side.
• Slice the mushrooms and turkey breast fillets into similar sized pieces. Season with a little salt and pepper and then sauté in a little olive oil in a frying pan. This should only take a few minutes so is the last step. Ensure the turkey is cooked by piercing and checking that the juices run clear.
• Then assemble the rest of the salad: Drain and place the potatoes onto the bed of leaves and then the mushroom and turkey pouring the olive oil that you cooked them in over the top as this forms part of the dressing.
• Sprinkle the shelled pistachio nuts on top.

• Mix a little honey with Balsamic vinegar and grainy mustard and pour over the top. Trying to make a little less mess than I did!

I was really pleased with this salad and will make it often now. Watercress is my salad leaf of choice. I love the peppery flavour. I'm not overly keen on radicchio because it's very bitter, but it was in my vegetable box this week so I tried it. It worked really well using a higher watercress than radicchio ratio and with the slightly sweet dressing. It added flavour without too much bitterness. I decided to use pistachio's rather than walnuts in the salad for the same reason. They are slightly bitter too and so I didn't think they would work well together.