Wash the potatoes well. If they are old and wrinkly, you can peel them. Otherwise leave the skins on. Cook in salt water for about 20 minutes. Then drain and halve.

Break off the woody ends of the asparagus (I learned from my fancy German asparagus magazine that it is better to break the ends than to cut them because the asparagus will naturally break where the woody part ends.) If necessary, peel the lower third of the asparagus. Then cut them into 1 inch (2 cm) pieces, putting the tops on the side.

Boil a bit of water with the sugar and some salt in the bottom of a frying pan. Add the asparagus pieces and let them cook for about 10 minutes, adding the tops in for the last 3 minutes.

Thinly slice the scallions. Place them in a bowl and pour a bit of the hot water from the cooked asparagus on top.

Combine the scallions with the vinegar, oil, mustard, salt and pepper.

Stir in the potato halves and the asparagus.

Prepare a guacamole to your liking. I simply mashed the avocado flesh with a bit of lemon juice and chopped cilantro.

Serve the potato-asparagus salad with a hefty dollop of guacamole and sprinkled with chopped chervil (an ancient herb that’s making a comeback).