Roast beetroot, ricotta, chicory, orange and hazelnut salad
If you can get hold of candied or yellow beetroot this will make this salad extra pretty. You will need a large platter to lay the chicory leaves out on (see below).
For 4 people
3 small beetroot
1 head chicory
1 tub ricotta
1 orange
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
4 tbsp hazelnuts
Olive oil
1 small bunch chives chopped
Wrap the unpeeled but clean beetroots in foil and bake until still firm but give just a little to pressure. This may take up to 1.5 hours at 180C. So, to make good use of the energy, you can do this stage well in advance and alongside other things you might be using the oven for – a casserole, baked potatoes, more beetroot, a tart… and certainly the hazelnuts which are best toasted in the oven.
Remove the skins from the toasted hazelnuts by rubbing them together in a clean tea towel. Chop or crush them coarsely.
Peel and cut the beetroot into 1 cm dice and put them in a bowl, add salt, pepper and the red wine vinegar, mix well.
Separate the leaves of chicory.
Segment the orange – no pith or pips. Cut the segments up into about 4 pieces each and put them along with the juice into a bowl to one side.
You are now ready to assemble the salad. Add the orange and juice to the beetroot and gently mix together. Into each chicory leaf, put an appropriately sized heap (i.e. not too much) of the beetroot mixture, add a blob of ricotta, a sprinkle of hazel nuts and chives and a drizzle of olive oil.
White bean purée Italian style
I usually make this delicious and simple dip on a large chopping board with a knife rather than in a food processor. It’s lovely watching it come together as you add the different ingredients. If you have all the ingredients ready, you can do the whole thing just before eating and leave it on the board for people to help themselves from. Very rustic, very Italian.
As a dip or starter serves 6 people
200g (net weight) butterbeans or cannelloni beans, cooked or tinned
Juice of 1 lemon, or to taste, freshly squeezed
6 cloves garlic, roasted, peeled and mashed
½ tsp salt
2 tbsp freshly ground cumin seeds
Approx. 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Small bunch mint or parsley leaves, chopped
Drain the butterbeans and, on a large chopping board, chop with a large knife then mash with a fork until evenly textured and smooth. Add the mashed garlic and mix well with the fork. Add the lemon juice, salt and cumin and mix well. Finally bind in the olive oil. It should be soft and creamy with just a bit of the beany texture still there.
Scatter with chopped mint or parsley.
Roast cauliflower, red onion and lemon
1 small cauliflower
2 red onions
1 lemon
½ tsp chilli flakes
Salt
Olive oil
Pre-heat the oven to 180C.
Break the cauliflower up into small fleurettes and cut the tender stalks into 2 cm pieces. Roughly dice the onion.
Cut two thumb sized strips of lemon peel and cut them into a fine dice.
Put the cauliflower, onion, lemon zest, chilli flakes and about ½ tsp salt in a bowl and mix together well. Add a generous slurp of olive oil, toss well and transfer to a roasting tray.
Roast for 25 minutes or until the cauliflower has taken a little colour and the onion is soft and caramelised. Serve warm.