This is one of those recipes that is hardly a recipe, more of a framework. It hinges on two things: a quick-pickle and a spiced oil. The quick-pickle involves simply dousing crunchy veg in a bath of salted apple cider vinegar then leaving it to do its thing for about 10 minutes. I used small candy-striped beetroot that jumped out at me at my local corner shop, but the crunchy veg could be fennel, it could be new season carrots, it could be radishes, it could be kohlrabi. Whatever you have or looks good at the shops, as long as it has some crunch. In making the quick-pickle you are also making (part of) the dressing for the salad as the pickling liquor is later tossed with the lettuce leaves, so really you can think of this as a two-for-one sort of situation.
The spiced oil involves gently toasting nuts and spices in olive oil until the nuts are golden and the spices have bloomed. I used chopped almonds, whole coriander seeds and aleppo pepper. But the almonds could be pistachios, could be pecans, could be walnuts or could be seeds instead. The coriander seeds could be fennel seeds, could be mustard seeds or could be nigella seeds. The aleppo pepper could be a pinch of paprika, could be a pinch of ras el hanout or could be sumac.
You get the idea. It’s a “could be” salad. Take it in whatever direction you so wish. When choosing said direction, I do think it’s helpful to consider the salad as a whole and therefore choose ingredients that work well together. But that in itself is subjective so if the combination feels right to you then go ahead. Like I said, it’s a framework, meaning this salad could be whatever you want it to be.
Serves 2 as a stand-alone salad, or more if you’re serving it alongside other bits & bobs
150g beetroot, or any other crunchy veg
5 tbsp apple cider vinegar
50g almonds, or any other nut(s) or seed(s)
1 tsp coriander seeds, or any other whole spice
5 tbsp olive oil
Pinch of aleppo pepper, or any other ground spice or spice blend
2 heads of baby gem lettuce
Small bunch of dill, or any other soft herb
100g feta
Finely slice the beetroot (use a mandolin if you have one) and mix in a bowl with the vinegar and a pinch of salt. Set aside to “quick-pickle”.
Roughly chop the almonds and put in a small pan with the coriander seeds and olive oil. Cook over a low heat for 4-5 minutes until the almonds are golden and the coriander seeds smell fragrant. The exact timings will vary depending on what nuts you’re using so keep an eye. Remove from the heat then add the aleppo pepper and a pinch of salt. Set aside to cool. As the oil cools and the beetroot quick-pickles, you can use this time (only about 10 minutes) to crack on with whatever you like: put a load of washing on, cross off that job that’s been niggling away on your to-do list for too long, pour yourself a drink or rustle up something to go with the salad.
Trim the bases of the baby gems and pull apart the leaves. Finely chop the dill. Put the baby gem, dill and quick-pickled beetroot in a large mixing bowl. Trickle in a few tablespoons of the beetroot pickling vinegar and toss well. Taste one of the leaves and add another splash of vinegar if you think it needs it. Arrange on a large platter, crumble over the feta and spoon over the cooled oil.
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