Basic doesn’t have to mean boring.

Nor does it have to be so rudimentary to be pointless.

So, when “Basics Vegetables” (Hardie Grant, 2025) landed on my porch as a review copy, I didn’t dismiss it outright, thinking I already know full well how to cook vegetables.

Instead, I leafed through the pages by Severine Auge, a Paris chef and recipe writer, and found a handy cookbook filled with helpful step-by-step photos for tried-and-true recipes ideal for young, newbie or infrequent cooks or anyone interested in adding more delicious vegetables to their diet.

There are detailed recipes for everything from “Smashed Potatoes” and “Tomato Tatin” to “Veggie Ramen,” “Lentil Shepherd’s Pie,” and “No-Bake Chocolate-Hazelnut Pot de Creme.”

I love spring’s new potatoes, picked in spring and eaten straightaway instead of cured for longer storage. With thinner skins and less starch, they have a wonderful sweet, creamy taste that really brings out their fresh potato-y flavor.

“Green Salad & New Potatoes” was a perfect way to showcase them, too.

Unlike most potato salads, the potatoes in this one are not boiled, but roasted. It gives them a toasty-roasty, deeper flavor.

Since my new potatoes were on the larger size, I cut them in half before roasting them in the oven. As they do their thing, boil frozen green peas and frozen fava beans briefly before transferring them to a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking. I used frozen shelled edamame instead of the favas. I also decreased the recipe’s boiling time from 5 minutes to 2 minutes because there are few things worse than overcooked peas that turn starchy and pallid.

From there, it’s only a matter of making the dressing, a pale green concoction of fresh herbs, mayo, yogurt, and lemon juice that you blitz in a flash in the food processor.

Transfer potatoes, peas, favas or edamame, and fresh spinach leaves to a bowl, and toss with the dressing. It’s a generous amount of dressing, so you could easily add more spinach leaves.

The creamy dressing coats everything with a Green Goddess-like taste. It’s a vibrant combo of green on green what with all the peas and favas or edamame. The burnished skins of the potatoes peek through, and add so much with their robust flavor.

Of course, you can make this salad with any potatoes at any time of the year. But take advantage of spring to enjoy the taste of new ones.

Green Salad & New Potatoes

(Serves 4)

1 pound 2 ounces new potatoes

1/4 cup olive oil

3 sprigs thyme

1 cup frozen peas

1/2 cup frozen shelled fava beans or edamame

3 1/2 ounces baby spinach or more

For the herb dressing:

1 1/4 ounces fresh herbs (chives, chervil, dill, parsley, mint etc.)

1/4 cup mayonnaise

Scant 1/2 cup Greek yogurt

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Salt and pepper

Place the potatoes on a baking sheet. Drizzle with the oil and sprinkle on the thyme. Season with salt and pepper and bake at 400°F/200°C for 30 minutes.

Cook the peas and beans for about 2 minutes in a saucepan of boiling, salted water. Drain and immerse in a bowl of cold water.

Make the dressing: Roughly chop the herbs and process them with the mayonnaise, yogurt, and lemon juice until smooth. Season with salt, and pepper.

In a bowl, combine the potatoes, peas, beans, and spinach. Toss with the dressing and serve.

Adapted from “Basics: Vegetables” by Severine Auge

Another Potato Salad to Enjoy: Gordon’s Red Potato Salad with Whole-Grain Mustard Dressing

And: Roasted Potato Salad with Roasted Garlic Dressing

And: Sweet Potato Salad with Cumin, Smoked Paprika, and Almonds