This is an excellent way of using up leftover cooked new potatoes. The dressing tastes rather boozy…not very surprisingly… but once tossed with the salad the strength dissipates…it just tastes rather good.

Recipe for warm bean and new potato salad with a calvados and Gorgonzola dressing

For two

• 1 x 265g/9 oz (drained weight) tin beans – cannellini or flageolet
• 200g/7 oz/about ten cooked new potatoes
• 100g/4 oz salami
• 2 tsps dried oregano
• 1 endive
• 1 red onion
• A handful of rocket, or even better, watercress
• 3 fat cloves of garlic, crushed with 1 tsp salt – do this as you make the dish
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsps walnut halves
• Olive oil for frying

The dressing
• 2 tbsps calvados or apple brandy…or balsamic apple vinegar….or cider vinegar
• 2 tbsps thick Greek yoghurt
• 100g/4 oz Gorgonzola cut with mascarpone (or 50g each of those two cheeses)
• Freshly ground pepper
• 2 tbsps fruity olive oil (I use Muraglia)

1. Pour a glug of olive oil into a large frying pan.
2. Peel and chop the onion – add it to the pan.
3. Roughly chop the walnuts, add to the pan, saving some for garnish.
4. Slice the potatoes, add to the pan.
5. Peel and chop the garlic, mix with the salt, add to the pan.
6. Grind over pepper, add the oregano.
7. Drain the beans, add to the pan. Stir all together well.
8. Slice the endive, and shred the rocket or watercress – place in a large salad bowl.
9. Make the dressing simply by mixing everything together.
10. Add the contents of the frying pan to the salad bowl, then the dressing and toss well.
11. Sprinkle over the remaining walnuts.