Friday 12th April 2019.
A note on colour: There are several attributes that we are taught about growing up, important parts of one’s personality that we must ensure we have when we reach adult age and leave the nest. Kindness, compassion, generosity etc. One that rarely gets a mention and is thought of to be best left in childhood is our natural curiosity. As children the world seems fascinating with an infinite amount of places to explore and lots to experience. We are told “The world is our oyster”, but as we grow the majority of us fall into the trap of contentment where we don’t like to push boundaries. It all about balance, to be somewhere between being content and curious is a good thing. Especially with food. Carrots are orange, tomatoes are red, lettuce is green. This is what were programmed to think. Perhaps we’re scared of wasting our precious pennies on something we might not like, or maybe it’s just a case of habit and familiarity. Supermarkets are quickly catching up with greengrocers and farm shops in beginning to sell more unusual fresh produce that most might not have heard of, this gives me hope as there is obviously a growing market of people who are keen to try new varieties of fruits and vegetables. There are those who eat simply to survive and see food as nothing more than fuel for the body, but for the rest of us food is exciting and intriguing. We have to eat, we have to work and we have to sleep. We can’t survive without doing these things, and just like how we strive to be the best we can at our chosen careers, I want us to want the most delicious and best quality food that is available.
Pretty In Pink
Pink radicchio, blood orange and pistachio salad - Gone are the days when a ‘side salad’ meant some sliced iceberg lettuce, a few halved cherry tomatoes and a half moon or two of cucumber. I like an underdog, and a salad is exactly that. It’s thought of as boring, ‘the diet option’ if we’re eating out. It doesn’t have to be though. There are always blood oranges in the fruit bowl at this time of year. I feel uneasy if there isn’t any, just like how I can’t quite relax if there isn’t cake in the house to offer guests that I know are going to turn up unannounced. I’ve talked about my love for this fruit many times before now so however tempting it is to ramble on about their extraordinary flavour, I will restrain myself. When I opened the fridge to make lunch, I didn’t purposely go looking for ingredients with different shades of pink, but here we are. I bought some stunning pink radicchio from @daylesfordfarm about a week ago but hadn’t found a suitable way to use it yet and do it’s beauty justice. I peeled the fragile leaves off the central spine and placed them in iced water to get them as crunchy and baby pink as possible. Mixed with the darker leaves of endive, tossed with a dressing made from sharp pomegranate juice and served with wedges of those beloved oranges and shelled pistachios, the result was better than I could have ever hopes. Harmony.
Ingredients:
- 2 pink radicchio
- 2 red endive
- 2 medium blood oranges
- 50g shelled pistachio nuts
- 1 whole pomegranate
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tsp pink peppercorns
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- Sea salt
Method
1. Carefully peel off the leaves from the radicchio and endive discarding the last few small leaves and the centre of the plant. Place the larger leaves in a bowl of iced water for 5 minutes to crisp up.
2. Using a knife, slice the top and bottom off the blood oranges and peel ensuring you get rid of all the white pith. Following the natural indents in the fruit, removed the segments from each with your knife, saving any juice that falls as you do so.
3. Cut the pomegranate in half. Squeeze the juice from one half into a large bowl, big enough to dress the salad in. Then with the other half, hold cut side down in one hand with your fingers fanned out over the seeds and gently hit the back with a wooden spoon to remove all the seeds, leaving the white pith. Place in a bowl and set aside.
4. Mix the pomegranate juice with the vinegar, then add a generous pinch of salt and stir until dissolved. Add the honey, olive oil and any leftover blood orange juice then roughly bash the pink peppercorns in a pestle and mortar to release their lemony scent before adding them too. Mix well.
5. Remove the salad leaves from their bath of iced water and spin until completely dry. Add to the bowl with the dressing along with the pistachios and pomegranate seeds. Mix well until all the leaves are coated. Serve immediately. Enough for 2.
Kommentare