If you have potatoes growing in your garden, and you have noticed they have begun to flower, then now is the time to have a cheeky feel underneath your plants and "tickle" out some new season spuds to sample. This is simply a matter of feeling around deep in the ground under where the foliage is growing, and although it may feel a bit intrusive, as long as you are careful to only break off the larger potatoes you want to harvest, and just remove a couple from each plant, the remaining potatoes will continue to grow on unaffected.

One of the best ways to eat these freshly picked beauties is to boil them in salted water and eat as is, perhaps with a knob of butter and a grind of black pepper. The second best way is to use them in a good potato salad. Unlike mayonnaise-laden potato salads that can leave you feeling weighed down, the recipe I share today is for a light French style version that contains a generous amount of red onion, egg and fresh dill to lighten up any heaviness from the potatoes.

You don't have to use new potatoes here but I like to, and my favourite variety to use is Nadine as they hold their shape well once cooked and won't mush up when you mix the salad together. Making sure you don't overcook the potatoes will prevent this too, so keep an eye on them as they boil. Very fresh potatoes won't have formed proper skins yet so may not need peeling, however if you are using older or bought potatoes, definitely don't skip the peeling step; you want a nice silky salad without unpalatable bits of skin through it.

If you can, it is best to make this recipe the same day you want to eat it, as the flavour of potato salad can become dull on refrigeration. However, if you absolutely must make it in advance, mix the dressing up separately and add it to the potato and egg mix just before serving, ensuring the salad has come back to room temperature first.

It is worth tracking down fresh dill for this recipe - with any luck you might have some growing in your garden, but if you can't source any, feel free to experiment with any soft herbs you have on hand – chives or flat leaf parsley would each make lovely variations, as would mint or even basil.