Summer food
Jazz up your usual barbecue spread with these vibrant salads from Irish restaurateur Theo Kirwan
Basil orzo with red pepper & pine nuts
Orzo is like a cross between a long-grain rice and short-cut pasta, and its almost buttery texture works so well through a salad. This tastes even better the next day, so make extra and have it for lunch during the week.
SERVES 4
• 4 red peppers (ideally Romano, but any will work)
• 2tbsp olive oil
• 50g pine nuts
• 1tbsp fennel seeds
• 250g orzo pasta
• 2 handfuls rocket
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper FOR THE BASIL DRESSING
• Large handful basil (20g)
• 4tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to finish
• 1 garlic clove, finely grated or very finely chopped
• Juice ½ lemon, plus extra to serve
• ½tbsp white wine vinegar TO SERVE
• Chunk of Parmesan, shaved with a vegetable peeler
• Flaky sea salt
1 Preheat oven to 220°C (200°C fan) mark 7.
2 Place the peppers in a low-sided roasting tray and drizzle with olive oil, then season generously with salt. Roast for 20-25min until the skins are blistered and charred slightly.
3 Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts and fennel seeds in a small, dry frying pan over a medium heat for 1min until lightly golden. Remove from the pan and set aside to cool.
4 Cook the orzo in a pan of salted boiling water for 8min, or according to the packet instructions.
5 While the orzo is cooking, blitz all the dressing ingredients together in a blender, seasoning with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper, until smooth and bright green. Once the orzo is cooked, drain and rinse under cold running water until completely cooled, then drain well and add it to a bowl.
6 Remove the peppers from the oven and set aside to cool a little, then pull off the tops and remove the seeds and all the skin, and slice the peppers into thin strips.
7 Pour the dressing over the orzo, then toss in the rocket and the roasted peppers. Pile on to a serving plate and top with the toasted pine nuts and fennel seeds, shaved Parmesan, a squeeze of lemon juice, flaky sea salt, black pepper and a little extra virgin olive oil.
A posh fennel & kohlrabi salad
This is an elegant way to serve fennel. Finely shaved, it still has some crunch but in a fresh, cleansing way. Serve alongside a simple piece of cooked fish, under the sun on a summer’s day.
SERVES 2 AS A MAIN, 4 AS A SIDE
• 1 kohlrabi
• 1 fennel bulb
• Juice ½ lemon
• 1 orange
• 1 red chilli, finely sliced
• Large handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 2tbsp olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Peel the kohlrabi, t
