Method

• Beetroot
• Preheat the oven to 150C (300F), Gas mark 2. Cut the stalks and leaves off the beetroot and reserve, then wrap in individual foil parcels and place in a roasting tin. Bake for 1 ½ hours or until completely tender when pierced with a knife.
• Vinaigrette
• To make the vinaigrette, place the sherry vinegar in a bowl and whisk in the mustard and season to taste. Slowly whisk in the extra virgin olive oil until you have achieved a thick emulsion. Check the seasoning and adjust as necessary.
• Potato Salad
• Steam the waxy potatoes and when cool enough to handle peel away the skins and cut into dice. Place in a bowl with the chives and fold in enough of the dressing to lightly coat.
• Now that the potato salad is dressed whisk the mustard into the rest of the vinaigrette.
• Beetroot
• When the beetroots are cooked and cool enough to handle, peel away the skin and cut in half or quarters, depending on their size. Place in a bowl and dress with a little of the vinaigrette.
• Vegetables
• Top and tail the carrots and then blanch in a pan of boiling salted water. Do the same with the leeks, broad beans and mangetout in separate pans. Drain and dress each vegetable in enough of the vinaigrette while they are still warm, mixing the broad beans and mangetout together.
• Slice the reserved stalks of the beetroot with the Swiss chard and Calvo Nero into small batons, leaving the Calvo Nero leaves intact. Place in a pan with the garlic and just cover with boiling salted water. Simmer for a few minutes until tender. Drain and dress in enough of the vinaigrette while they are still warm.
• Lattice Potato Crisps
• Peel the floury potatoes and then using a mandolin with a lattice blade cut into thin lattice slices. Place in a large bowl of water and leave to soak to remove the excess starch.
• Yellow Split Pea Pate
• Cook the yellow split peas in a large pan of boiling salted water until tender. Drain and roughly mash, then beat in the onion and enough olive oil to make a pate. Season with salt and pepper.
• Raw Salad
• Using a mandolin or sharp knife, thinly slice the celery, cucumber and radish and place in a bowl, then lightly dress with some of the vinaigrette.
• Tomato Salad
• Make a small criss-cross incision on the bottom of each the tomato and then pop them into a bowl of boiling water briefly so that they will peel easily. Drain and rinse under cold running water while you peel away the skins, then cut into large dice, discarding the seeds and cores. Place in a bowl.
• Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and add to the bowl with the red onion and purple basil and enough vinaigrette to lightly coat.
• Soft-Boiled Eggs
• Place the eggs in a pan of water and bring to a simmer, then cook for 7 minutes until soft-boiled. Plunge into a bowl of iced water to prevent them from cooking further. Crack the shells, then peel away the shells and cut each egg in half.
• Lattice Potato Crisps
• When ready to serve, preheat the deep-fat fryer to 180C (350F). Drain the lattice potato chips, then rinse well and dry with kitchen paper. Deep fry for 3-4 minutes until crisp and golden. Drain on kitchen paper and season with salt.
• Serve
• Arrange the individual vegetables and salads on serving plates with a quenelle of the yellow split pea pate, two soft-boiled egg halves. Garnish with the flower petals and herb sprigs. Drizzle a little of the remaining vinaigrette over each one and serve at once.