I am always an advocate for shopping for fresh, local ingredients! Your local Farmers' Market is sure to have the potatoes, asparagus, dill and shallots you will need to make this delicious salad that is a great addition to any summer barbecue. In fact, I'm always asked to bring it to summer pot luck parties. The lemon and Dijon dressing makes a lighter version than the traditional mayonnaise-based potato salads we are used to. Toasted pumpkin seeds offer a nice salty kick that is well balanced with the bright dill and lemon flavours.

Serves 6-8 people

Ingredients

2 lbs baby potatoes, washed well and cut in half
2 tsp sea salt
½ cup extra virgin olive oi
¼ cup fresh lemon juice, plus the zest from the lemon
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 small shallot, minced
freshly ground black pepper
sea salt to taste
1 bunch of asparagus, washed, stemmed and sliced into 1 inch pieces
¼ cup pumpkin seeds, lightly toasted with 1 tsp of Tamari***
2 tbsp fresh dill, roughly chopped
5 scallions, thinly sliced

***Tamari is a wheat-free soy sauce and can be found in most grocery stores is the Asian foods aisle

Directions

1. Put the potatoes into a large pot of water along with the 2 tsp sea salt and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until tender; about 15 minutes.

2. Drain and put into a large mixing bowl.

3. While the potatoes are boiling, prepare the dressing by whisking together the olive oil, lemon juice and zest, Dijon mustard and shallot. Pout this over the still hot potatoes and toss to coat. Season with sea salt and pepper.

4. Now add the remaining ingredients and toss to combine. If the salad seems too dry, add a little warm water or more olive oil.

5. Put the salad into an oven that is set to 250 degrees to keep warm until ready to serve.