Spring bacon, egg and asparagus salad with croutons  

Dobbies has put together a menu of tasty spring dishes to make the most of fresh produce and inject some freshness into your mealtimes. Whether you’ve grown some delicious tomatoes, vibrant carrots or fragrant herbs, check out these mouth watering recipes that are perfect for outdoor entertaining, and get creative with your crop.

Serves 4 (Prep time 10 minutes, cook time 20 minutes)

While often grown in the ground, asparagus can also be grown in larger containers and is at its best in spring and early summer. Wonderful in seasonal pastas, salads or as a vibrant side dish, this versatile and nutritious vegetable should be a staple in your kitchen, and Dobbies has a delicious spring salad that lets asparagus shine.

What you’ll need

For the dressing  

• 4tbsp extra virgin olive oil  
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar  
• Juice half a lemon  
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard  
• 1 tsp honey or maple syrup 
• 1 shallot, finely chopped  

For the salad  

• 4 eggs at room temperature
• 100g stale sourdough or ciabatta, crusts removed, torn into small chunks 
• 6 rashers smoked streaky bacon  
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 300g asparagus, woody ends removed  
• 30g cress or micro leaves 
• Edible flower leaves to serve  

1. Bring a large pan of water to a rolling boil and carefully lower the eggs in. Cover and cook for 6 min 15 seconds. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and transfer into a bowl of iced water. Allow to cool before peeling and halving.
2. Preheat your oven to 200C/ 180C fan.
3. To make the dressing, in a small bowl whisk all the ingredients together until emulsified.  
4. Arrange the croutons in a single layer on a baking tray, roughly chop the bacon rashers and scatter over the top, and drizzle over the olive oil. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes before turning and cooking for a further 5 minutes until croutons and bacon are golden and crisp.  
5. Bring another pan of water to the boil and cook the asparagus for 4 minutes until just tender. Drain and set aside.  
6. To serve, arrange the asparagus on a serving dish, and scatter over the croutons and bacon. Arrange the egg halves on top. Scatter over the cress, and drizzle over the dressing. Finish with a few edible flowers and a generous grind of black pepper. Serve immediately.