Kokako's Urenika potato and quinoa salad with capsicum aioli

Ted Baghurst

Have a hankering for purple as summer becomes autumn? Try your hand at Kokako's Urenika Potato and Quinoa Salad with Capsicum Aioli Salad.

This salad - like the rest of the Grey Lynn café's menu - makes use of seasonal, local and organic ingredients, including the lovely, antioxidant-rich Urenika potato, which originated from Ngati Porou. It's a waxy potato that is great steamed and holds its purple colour well when cooked, making it perfect for salads.

Here, thanks to Kokako's sous chef Kentaro Kurihara, who marks five years with the company this month, is just the recipe to try.

Salad

500 g	Potatoes, purple Urenika, cut into bite-sized pieces (Main)
150 g	Red quinoa, organic (Main)
1	Courgette, cut into small cubes
10 g	Red onions, sliced very finely
50 g	Green beans, cut into 2cm lengths
10 g	Pine nuts
5 g	Spring onions, chopped
5 g	Parsley, chopped

Aioli

125 ml	Canola oil
25 ml	Extra virgin olive oil
1	Egg, yolk
2	Garlic cloves
½	Red capsicums
½ tsp	Wholegrain mustard
1 Tbsp	Cabernet Sauvignon vinegar, or any other kind of red or white wine vinegar

Directions

Prepare the salad ingredients:

1. Boil the Urenika potatoes for 10-15 minutes until sufficiently cooked.
2. Cook quinoa in boiling water for 10-15 minutes.
3. Sauté courgette until lightly caramelised.
4. Spread pinenuts on a baking sheet and bake at 180C, stirring occasionally, until golden-brown, which should take 5-10 minutes.

Prepare the aioli:

1. Sauté or roast capsicum until nicely cooked, put aside to cool.
2. Place egg yolks, mustard, vinegar, capsicum, salt and pepper in food processor.
3. With the motor running, add oil in a thin, steady stream until the mixture emulsifies and thickens.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Taste and add more seasoning or vinegar if needed.

Place all vegetables in a bowl and pour the aioli, toss gently. Taste and season if needed. Sprinkle over pinenuts, parsley and spring onion.