Say goodbye to a handful of wilted lettuce leaves. These showstoppers combine a carnival of flavours to make boring salads a thing of the past
FIG AND FETA SALAD
Elena Silcock, recipe writer and author of Salads Are More Than Leaves, says: ‘This will always be one of my faves. There’s something about the sticky roasted figs with the fresh leaves and feta that works a kind of magic.’
Preparation 35 mins Serves 4
12 figs 1 tbsp clear honey 3 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses 2 gem lettuces or heads of radicchio or endive ½ small bunch (about 15g) mint ½ small bunch (about 15g) flat leaf parsley 100g pomegranate seeds 120g pitted black olives 200g feta cheese
For the tahini dressing
3 tbsp tahini Juice of ½ lemon Salt and pepper
For the topping
30g sesame seeds A few of the herbs
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas mark 4. Line a baking tray with foil. Halve the figs and place them, cut side up, on the tray. Drizzle with the honey and 1 tablespoon of the oil, season with salt and pepper and roast for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside for about 10 minutes until cool enough to handle.
2 Meanwhile, toast the sesame seeds: place in a dry frying pan (don’t add oil) and cook over a medium heat until golden and fragrant.
3 In a large mixing bowl, whisk the remaining oil with the pomegranate molasses and season with salt and pepper.
4 Separate the leaves of the lettuces – if they look at all dirty, wash in iced water and spin to dry – and add to the bowl of oil and pomegranate molasses. Pull the herb leaves from the stems and add most of them to the bowl. Toss the ingredients together to combine, then pile on to a platter.
5 To make the dressing, add the tahini, lemon juice and seasoning to a large bowl and whisk until well combined. Add splashes of water and keep whisking until it becomes a light creamy colour and a drizzling consistency – it can take up to 5 tablespoons of water.
6 Break the feta into rough chunks and nestle into the salad along with the roasted figs. Drizzle with the dressing. Top with the toasted sesame seeds and the remaining herb leaves.
Flexible
MAKE IT VEGAN Swap the honey for maple syrup and use vegan feta-style ‘cheese’ or omit.
RATATOUILLE SALAD
Elena Silcock says: ‘The thing that always used to bug me about ratatouille is the use of all the ingredients I crave on a summer’s day, packed into a hot dish. So here we have it, same vibe, but in the form of a killer salad.’
Preparation 30 mins Serves 4
3 aubergines 1 red onion 1 tsp sugar 6 large juicy tomatoes 450g jar roasted red peppers (about 350g drained weight) 2 courgettes 1 small
