Baked Sweet Salmon with Pickled Sea Radish

In this recipe I've used sea radish which is a coastal cabbage like vegetable. Slightly bitter and has a lingering flavour and best cooked or pickled much like any other green vegetable. Sea radish thrives in poor soil and sandy areas and best picked and eaten during winter months.
For this recipe I've pickled the sea radish until tender and served it with salmon baked in kecap manis. Kecap manis is a fermented sweet soy sauce. A versatile ingredient and simply amazing on its own. Every asian supermarket will sell it, and recently I've seen it being sold in big chain supermarkets.
This dish has a lovely balance of salty and sweet, also worth noting it is a meal on its own.

600g whole salmon filet
100ml kecap manis
300g new potatoes
100g baby spinach, washed

Pickled Sea Radish:
400g sea radish
100ml cider vinegar
200ml water
4 springs tarragon
1 red onion
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 dried red chilli
2 tablespoons sea salt

Tartar Sauce:
3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon dijon
4 springs dill
3 tablespoons fine capers
2 gherkins
350ml vegetable oil
50ml cold water
Cracked black pepper and sea salt

Method:
Wash the sea radish and slice into 5cm long pieces and place in a large pot. Peel the onion and slice in half (place one half of the onion aside as you will be using it in the tartar sauce) and thinly slice one half the the onion and add to sea radish. Peel the garlic and thinly slice. Add garlic, vinegar, water, tarragon, mustard seeds, chilli and salt into pot with sea radish. Bring the pot to a steady boil over a high heat and cook for a further 10 minutes until sea radish is tender. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Put the potatoes in a pot and just cover with cold water. Place the pot over a medium/high heat and bring to a simmer. Cook the potatoes until just tender then drain and leave to cool.

In the meantime place salmon filet in a baking tray with risen edges and pour over the kecap manis. Cover the tray tightly with foil and bake in oven set at 180˚C for 25 minutes.

To make the tartar sauce you will need to place yolks, lemon, mustard, dill, capers, gherkins, other half of the red onion and a good amount of salt and pepper to season, in a food processor. Blend ingredients together for 30 seconds, while the processor is still on very slowly pour in half the oil. If you pour the oil in too quickly the sauce will split. Half way through mixing add the water followed by slowly pouring in the remainder of the oil. Taste the tartar sauce and add more seasoning if need be.
To make the salad you can either construct one large platter or make 4-6 individual plates. First lay down the spinach, next evenly distribute over sliced potatoes and desired amount of pickled sea radish. Lastly finish the salad with flaked pieces salmon and dress the top with tartar sauce and serve.

Cox Apples, Gorgonzola, Alexanders and Spiced Walnut Salad

This is another recipe using Alexanders. I talked about these in the last recipe I posted, so if you are unaware what they are I sugest you read this link Wild Boar and Alexander Stew.
For this salad I have lightly sautéed them and added the alexanders to a salad loosely based on the Waldorf, less creamy and more sweet, spicy and textural in flavour.

4 cox apples
250g gorgonzola
400g alexanders, washed
70g rocket, washed
70g walnut halves
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
1 white onion
25g butter
1 lemon
Sea salt to season
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Method:
Heat a fry pan over a medium heat and add the cumin seeds, when the seeds become fragrant add the chilli flakes and toast for a further 10 second. Pour spices into a pestle and mortar and ground into a powder.
Peel and finely dice the onion. Melt butter in the same fry pan over a medium heat then add the onions. Stir and cook the onions until they become soft and translucent. Stir the ground spices into to the onions then add walnuts and toss around pan until walnuts are start to toast, lastly squeeze in the juice of the lemon and season with salt. Remove the walnuts from the heat.
Thinly slice the whole alexanders including leaves. Heat a pot over a high heat and add olive oil and alexanders, season well with salt. Cook the alexanders until just tender, then remove from heat.
Peel the apples and grate, place the grated apples in a large bowl with rocket, alexanders, walnuts and gorgonzola torn into smaller pieces. Using clean hands mix all ingredients together until evenly incorporated. Serve the salad as soon as possible.

Quinoa with Roasted Olives, Cashew Nuts and Oranges

Photo provided by Sadiq Food Photography (Click here)

Here's a incredibly healthy and hearty salad that'll keep you sustained throughout the day. Very tasty and fully satisfying which is quite tricky to achieve when it comes to a vegan lunch.

250g quinoa
150g black pitted olives
1 long red chilli
2 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
100ml extra virgin olive oil
100g cashew nuts
1/2 teaspoon tumeric
Sea salt
2 oranges
1 small bunch basil
70g rocket

Method:
Place a large pot of salted water on to the boil. Thinly slice the red chilli and garlic and lay out on oven tray with olives, bay leaves and half the olive oil, place in oven set at 180ºC for 20 minutes. In a separate oven tray lay out cashew nuts, drizzle over remaining olive oil and season with tumric and salt, place in oven with olives and cook until golden in colour.
Once the water is boiling add quinoa and cook for about 7-10 minutes until tripled in size, drain and cool under cold running water.
Slice the top and bottom off the orange and using a small paring knife run the blade round the orange removing the skin and pith, then slice the segment out of the oranges. Pick the leaves off basil and roughly chop, and in a large bowl add the quinoa and mix in the basil, oranges, olives and cashews until evenly combined. Serve with washed rocket leaves. 

Slow Roasted Beef with Rainbow Carrots and Truffle Oil

Photo provived by Sadiq's Food Photography Blog (Click here)

Rainbow carrots have just come into season and the varieties usually consist of purple, white and yellow. Originally, carrots used to be purple but after years of agricultural science and lack of imagination from our supermarket suppliers we've become accustom to orange carrots.
Here's a lovely winter salad recipe in which I marry beef, truffle oil and rainbow carrots together.

800g beef shoulder
1kg mixed rainbow carrots
70g hazelnuts
120g watercress, washed
75ml dark truffle oil
Sea salt and crushed pepper corns
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Method:
Place beef in a baking tray and pour over 250ml water, then generously rub beef in salt and pepper and drizzle over truffle oil. Cover tray with foil and place in oven set at 160ºC for 2 and half hours.

Peel the carrots, cut the top and tail then slice into 1cm thick long strips. Place carrots in a baking tray and pour over olive oil. Season carrots with a little salt and pepper then place in the oven with beef and roast for 50 minutes.

Roughly chop the hazelnuts in half, place a small pan over a medium heat and lightly toast the hazelnuts.

Once beef is cooked pull apart using 2 forks. To make the salad, you can either make 4-6 individual portions or one large platter. First lay down the watercress followed by carrots and shredded beef and lastly sprinkle over with hazelnuts and serve.

Water Pepper Pesto Salad

Water Pepper is a pungent and slightly spicy plant that grows in shallow ponds and rivers, a foraged item but quite easy to spot. Clusters of small purple buds form on the top and running down the stem grows thin slender leaves usually in sets of 2. However I recommend you buy a book on foraging with detailed pictures and description. Last thing I want to do is be responsible for poisoning your friends and family.

150g stale focaccia
150g cherry tomatoes
200g buffalo mozzarella at room temperature
2 nectarines
70 rocket
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and pepper to season

PESTO:
75g water pepper leaves
20g flat leave parsley
50g grated parmesan
50g toasted peanuts
150ml extra virgin olive oil
Pinch sea salt

Method:
Slice the focaccia into 2 cm cubes and lay out over baking tray, drizzle lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. On a separate baking tray place cherry tomatoes and also drizzle with oil and season. Place both trays in oven set at 140oC for 25 minutes.
Slice nectarines in half and remove the stone, then cut into thin wedges and place to one side till salad is ready to construct.
In a food processor place all the pesto ingredients and blend together for 2 minutes till relatively smooth. Once the croutons and tomatoes have cooked and cooled it is then time to make the salad. You can either make 4-6 individual salads or one large platter. First lay down some rocket then sprinkle desired amount of croutons followed buy slices of nectarine. Next evenly distribute the tomatoes and tear the mozzarella over salad. Lastly spoon generous amounts of pesto over salad and serve.

Ginger Curried Chickpeas with Water Mint, Cucumber, Goats cheese, Bourbon and Rose Dressing

I created this salad several months ago but this image got lost in a catalogue of pictures I have. Not sure how this one slipped by as it's defiantly one of my favourite salad this year. Ridiculously healthy, wonderfully fragrant and all drizzled in a floral boozy dressing. 

I've also used water mint in this salad, a foraged item commonly found on edges of streams, damp meadows and ponds throughout England and can be used just like regular mint. This recipe should make around 4-6 portions depending on your portion sizes.

500g dried chickpeas
1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
400g canned plum tomatoes
1 carrot, peeled and roughly cubed
1 red pepper, roughly diced
1 red onion, peeled and sliced
2 sticks celery, roughly cubed
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
300ml apple juice
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
50ml extra virgin olive oil
1 cucumber
200g goats cheese
100g bunched water mint
200ml bourbon
2 teaspoons rose water
Sea salt
70g baby spinach, washed

Method:
Soak chickpeas in a large pot of water for 8 hours or overnight. Once soaked, drain and rinse chickpeas under cold running water. Place chickpeas back in pot and fill with water, add the soda and place over a high heat and bring to the boil. Using a slotted spoon remove the foam that forms on the surface of water. Cook the chickpeas until tender and fluffy then drain and cool under cold running water.

In a small fry pan add the fennel seeds, coriander, cumin and mustard seed, place over a medium heat and gently toast the seeds until fragrant (make sure you don't burn them as this will taint the flavour of the chickpeas). Once gently toasted, place seeds in a mortar and pestle and ground into a powder.

Using a large high rimmed baking tray or casserole dish with lid, add the chickpeas, tomato, carrot, red pepper, onion, celery, garlic, ginger, apple juice, ground spice, olive oil and a tablespoon sea salt. Gently stir together, cover with a lid or foil and place in oven set at 180ºC for 1 hour. Halfway through cooking stir cover and place back in oven.

Once cooked, leave to stand for 20 minutes covered. In the meantime, slice cucumber in half lengthways and scoop out the seeds, cut cucumber in half again lengthways and roughly cube. To make the salad, I suggest you do individual portions, first lay down some spinach leaves followed by a couple large spoonfuls of chickpeas. Gently break up desired amount of goats cheese over salad, then tear water mint over salad. Lastly mix the burbon and rose water together and drizzle a couple of teaspoon of dressing over each salad. 

A Well Balanced Salad

This salad is a perfect balance of sweet, salty, creamy, bitter, nutty and fragrant and almost fat free. Full of roughage and fiber to provide midday into early evening energy. Failing that a simple and quick dinner that'll please your conscience.

1 pineapple
1 radicchio
1 bunch breakfast radish
200g blue vein cheese
70g brazil nuts
1 small bunch coriander

Method:
Coarsely chop the brazil nuts and sprinkle over a baking tray, roast in oven set at 180oC for around 7-8minutes. Top and tail pineapple then remove the core and slice pineapple into 2cm cubes. Slice radicchio in half, separate and wash the leaves. Cut the tops off radishes and finely slice into small rounds.
To construct the salad you can either make one large platter or 4-6 individual portions. First lay down torn piece's of radicchio followed by even amounts of pineapple, radish, blue cheese and finely garnish with brazil nuts and roughly chopped coriander leaves.

Chicken Adobo with Camargue Red Rice

A reprint of one of my older recipe's with a shinny new photo from the amazing Etienne! And this time I got the spelling right. 
Adobo is a Spanish word for marinade however this is a Filipino dish traditionally cooked with chicken thighs and drums. But some recipes include pork served with plain rice and a hard boiled egg. I love the combination of salty and sweet, and was surprised at how simple it is to make. I developed my own version for Kaffeine where its incorporated into a salad with camargue red rice (wild rice found in the south of France) and coriander. Out of the several hundred salads I've created at work this has to be the one that out sells all the others.

500g boneless skinless chicken thigh
60ml dark soy sauce
60ml malt vinegar
60ml water
60g demerara sugar
8 peeled cloves garlic
16 peppercorns
2 bay leaves
200g camargue red rice
70g rocket
20g coriander leaves roughly chopped
1 tablespoon sesame oil

METHOD:
Bring a medium pot of water to the boil add the rice and cook for 30 minutes
Cut each chicken thigh into 6 pieces and place in a bowl with roughly chopped garlic and add the soy, vinegar, sugar, water, peppercorns and bay leaves. Place the chicken on a medium heat and cook for 20 minutes stirring occasionally. Once the rice is cooked drain and cool under cold running water then put the rice in a large mixing bowl add the coriander and mix together. When the chicken has cooked strain the marinade from the chicken, don't throw away the marinade. Place the same pot back on a high heat and add the sesame oil followed by the chicken and cook till the meat falls apart around 4-5 minutes, pour the marinade back in the pot and cook for a further 5 minutes till the sauce thickens then remove from heat.
Add the chicken to the rice and combine, now its time to construct the salad. On a serving platter or 4 individual  lay down half the rocket leaves followed by half the Adobo and repeat the layer one more time and serve.

Watermelon and Smoked Mozarella Salad

I have to admit I was never a fan of watermelon growing up, however I've recently reacquainted myself and realised how very very wrong I was. Especially on a hot day there isn't anything as refreshing and sweet like a beautiful watermelon, simple and satisfying.
This salad incorporates melon with smoked stringy textured cheese and slender crunchy flaked almonds. All rounded off with peppery rocket and slightly bitter red onion, all flavours balanced to make a wonderful summer salad. 

1/2 watermelon
300g smoked mozzarella
1 red onion
50g flaked almonds
70g washed rocket

Dressing:
2  juiced lemons
1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard
1 apple
1 shallot
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons water
50ml extra virgin olive oil

 Method:
To make the dressing peel apple and slice into wedges then cut out the core.  Place apple, lemon juice, mustard, diced shallot, salt and water over medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer. Once apple turns mushy remove dressing from heat and pour in food processor. Blend dressing with olive oil for 2 minutes till smooth.
Place a small fry pan over medium heat and add the almonds, toss in the pan till they just start to turn golden brown then remove from heat. Peel red onion, slice in half and top'n'tail then slice very finely lengthways. Remove the rind off melon and cube into 2cm piece's. To make the salad you can either make 4-6 individual servings or 1 large platter. First lay down rocket followed by a scattering of red onion and melon. Then tear mozzarella into small piece and evenly distribute over salad, lastly sprinkle almonds on salad and drizzle over desired amount of dressing.

Brown Sugar Cod Salad

Finally we can throw our soup bowls and duvet in the back of the cupboards, and make the most of whats left of the summer. What I'd do for a duel passport so I can chase the sun.
My latest salad use's the best of summer produce and delicate cod baked in brown sugar with fragrant flavours. Virtually fat free and completely satisfying.
Also I must once again thank Etienne for his fresh batch of wonderful and colourful photo's,

1kg cod fillet
4 tablespoons muscovado sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
50ml fish sauce
1 long red chilli
2 cloves garlic
1 bunch coriander
2 limes
2 large aubergine
4 nectarines
2 baby gem lettuce
50ml extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper for seasoning

Method:
Remove the tops of aubergine and slice in half lengthways, then cut each half into 8 wedges and lay over baking tray, season with salt and pepper. Drizzle olive oil over aubergine and bake in oven set at 180oC for 30 minutes.
Place cod fillet on a baking tray and sprinkle with sugar, salt and pour over fish sauce. Peel garlic and roughly chop with chilli, finely slice the roots of coriander and scatter over fish with chilli and garlic. Cut limes into quarters and squeeze out the juice over fish, cover tray in foil and place in oven pre-heated to 180oC for 15 minutes.
Cut the base of the gem lettuce and separate the leaves and wash then pat dry with paper towels. Slice nectarine's in half and remove the stone, slice each half into 4 wedges.
To construct the salad you can either make 4-6 individual portions or one large platter. First place a wedge's of aubergine and nectarine in lettuce leafs and lay out over serving plate. Gently flake fish over salad and dress with fish cooking juice's, lastly garnish with coriander.

Lemon, Mint and Poppy Tofu Salad

Here's a easy and almost fat free vegan salad. Generally I use a firm chalky tofu for salads as it gives bite and texture, silken tofu is nice but better for dessert making.
This is also the time of the year for excellent cucumbers and peas. Cucumbers are more fragrant than earlier crops and pea's are sweeter and juicer fresh from the pod. I highly recommend you shell your own pea's, this may be more laborious but definitely worth the reward.

500g firm smoked tofu
300g fresh peas
1 cucumber
70g washed rocket
4 lemons
4 tablespoons poppy seeds
6 springs of mint
1 green chilli
1 clove garlic
50ml extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt

Method:
Slice tofu into 2cm cubes and lay over baking tray. Juice the lemons and strain out the seeds, sprinkle tofu generously with salt then drizzle over the lemon juice and half the olive oil. Lastly sprinkle over poppy seeds and bake tofu in pre-heated oven set at 180oC for 20 minutes.
Finely dice chilli and garlic together, place a small pot over medium heat and add the remainder olive oil. Once oil is hot add, garlic, chilli, peas and a teaspoon salt, saute the peas till just tender then remove from heat. Using a potato masher very roughly mash the peas for a few seconds just to break the skin's a little.
Slice cucumber lengthways and scoop out the seeds, then cut into 2mm slice's. Once the tofu is cooked roughly chop the mint and sprinkle over tofu, when tofu has cooled down enough mix the mint and tofu together. To make the salad you can either make 4 individual portions or a large platter. First lay down rocket, sprinkle over cucumber and peas and lastly top with tofu and serve.

Apricots, Spiced Ewes Dressing and Ginger Rye Crackers Salad

Literally all stone fruit at this very moment is stunning! I'm not sure what the science is but I've noticed every second year stone fruit is better than the last. This year just happens to be the year for exceptional peaches, apricots and necterines. Make the most of their supperior juicey sweetness because you're going to have to wait another 2 years to get it this good.
I've incorperated apricots into a new tasty salad with sharp and sweet blue ewe's milk cheese and decorated in ginger rye crackers, fresh chilli and spring onions. Simply summer on a plate.

 4 apricots
1 bunch spring onion
1 large red chilli
100g washed baby spinach

Dressing:
100g blue ewes milk cheese
2 tablespoons cream cheese
150ml buttermilk
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 dried red chilli
1 clove garlic
Pinch sea salt

Ginger Rye Crackers:
350g rye flour
200g butter
100g grated cheddar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon sea salt
90 tablespoon cold water

METHOD:
Start with the crackers, place rye, cheddar, ginger, and salt in mixing bowl. Cube butter and add to the dry ingredients, using a fork press the butter into the dry ingredients till roughly combined. Add half the water and stir, add the remainder water and gently knead into a ball, wrap in cling film and leave to rest in fridge for 1 hour.
Once cracker dough has rested roll out into a rough rectangle 40x30cm on a floured surface, grease and line baking tray with parchment paper. Carefully wrap cracker dough round the rolling pin, then unwind dough over baking tray. Using your fingers poke bumps into the cracker dough surface to give texture. Bake cracker in oven preheated at 180oC for 15 minutes. Once cooked leave to cool completely.
For the dressing place a fry pan over medium/high heat and add the cumin and dried chilli broken into smaller pieces. Toast till the seeds and chilli become very fragrant and remove from heat. Put cumin and chilli in pestle and mortar and ground into a rough powder. Place all dressing ingredients into food processor and blend together for one minute.
Cut apricots in half and remove the stone, slice each half into 4 wedges. Trim spring onion and finely slice, cut chilli in half lengthways then thinly slice into semicircles.
To construct the salad you can either make 4 individual serves or one large platter. First lay down baby spinach followed by wedges of apricots. Sprinkle over desired amount of spring onion and chilli. Then break rye cracker into smaller bite sized chucks and scatter over salad, lastly drizzle over dressing and serve.

Brunch Salad

In terms of salads this is kind of a naughty one. Salty and sweet but full of different and interesting textures. In fact I may have invented the first new breakfast salad since 5 types of fruit were mixed together. Perfect for a weekend brunch!

200g sliced pancetta
100g baby spinach
50g hazel nuts
100ml maple syrup

Banana Fritter:
450g plain four
2 banana
100g butter
2 eggs
150ml milk
100ml buttermilk
100g grated cheddar
50g caster sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt


Pickled Onion:
2 large red onions
2 red chillies
2 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
8 peppercorns
100ml white wine vinegar
250ml water
100g sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Method:
First make the banana fritters, melt the butter and put aside to cool slightly. Then mash the bananas, in a large bowl add the flour, cheddar, sugar, baking powder, soda, salt and roughly mix together. Beat eggs and mashed banana into the butter then pour into the dry mix along with the buttermilk and milk. Using a spoon mix together till just combined, line a baking tray 30x20cm (3cm deep) with parchment paper. Pour the banana mixture into baking tray and even out, bake in pre-heated oven set at 180oC for 45-50 minutes.  Once cooked leave to cool.
To make the picked onions peel the onions and slice into rings, peel garlic and slice along with the chillies. Place all pickle onion ingredients into a small pot and put over a high heat, bring to the boil then remove from heat and leave to cool.
Lay pancetta and hazelnuts on separate baking trays and cook at 180oC for 7 minutes.
Once banana fritter has cooled slice into 2cm cubes, place a fry pan over medium-high heat and spray with oil. Gently toast the banana fritters on all sides in several batches.
To construct the salad you can either make 4-6 individual portions or one large patter. First lay down the spinach followed by slices of onion and chilli. Then evenly distribute the banana fritter and tear pancetta over top. Lastly sprinkle over hazelnuts and drizzle with desired amount of maple syrup.   

Hot Smoked Salmon Coleslaw

A mostly raw and incredibly healthy salad, low in fat and salt but full of flavour and texture. For the salmon I recommend you find a excellent fish monger, preferably one who knows Japaneses food and can source you hot smoked salmon, really does make a huge difference to the salad. 

600g hot smoked salmon
1/2 white cabbage
4 sticks celery
2 carrots
1 tablespoon grated horseradish
Small handful flat parsley
100ml rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sea salt

METHOD:
Using a very sharp knife slice the cabbage as thinly as possible. Then peel the carrots and cut into fine match sticks, cut celery in the same way. Place the cabbage, carrot, celery and horseradish into a large mixing bowl and toss together. Flake the salmon into the coleslaw mixture and add the rice vinegar and salt, using your hands toss the salad together till evenly combined.  Roughly chop the parsley and sprinkle over salad. To serve you can either make 4 individual plates or place the salad into one large serving bowl.

Vegan Borlotti Beans with Bulrush Sticks

Here's another vegan recipe containing strange foraged items. Bulrush is a long leek like stem that commonly grows on the edge of ponds or slow moving rivers. The outer leaves are stringy and cant be eaten, however the inner pale grey/green leaves are sweet and starchy and almost dissolves on the tongue due to it's high starch content. Sweet like peas and reminds me of a softer asparagus.
During the summer fresh borlotti beans are available at your local fresh produce store and far superior in creamy texture over the canned or dried verities. Also Wild fennel seems to be growing madly this time of year and can be found in most parks and reserves, however the more it sits in the sun the more bronze it becomes, but still full of flavour.

1.2kg fresh borlotti beans
8 plum tomatoes
1 carrot
1 red onion
1 red pepper
2 cloves garlic
1 red chilli
2 bay leaf
1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon sea salt
250ml apple juice
50ml extra virgin olive oil
8 bulrush
100g baby spinach washed


METHOD:
Shell the borlotti beans and place in a 3cm deep baking tray. Quarter tomatoes, peel and roughly dice the carrot and onion, slice pepper in half and remove the seeds then roughly dice. Peel and crush the garlic, dice the chilli and add both to baking tray along with tomato, carrot, onion, red pepper, bay, paprika, salt, apple juice and olive oil. Roughly mix together and cover in foil, place in oven set at 160oC for 1 hour and 30 minutes, give a little stir once cooked for 45 minutes and return to the oven.
In the mean time trim the tops off bulrush and remove a couple of the tough outer leaves then slice in half lengthways, the edible part of bulrush should be a very pale green or white colour.
Once borlotti beans are cooked remove foil and set aside to cool for 30 minutes.
To serve place some baby spinach in a bowl and spoon over borlotti beans and garnish with wild fennel then serve with several sticks of bulrush on the side.

Beetroot and Sea Beet Salad

Sea beet resembles a robust spinach however belongs to the beetroot family and grows wild near coastal areas. Very strong on flavour, salty and has a lingering mustard after taste and packed with nutriance!
This salad is quite easy to prepare and is a full on taste slash texture explosion!!!!!!!

1kg beetroot
500g sea beet
50g walnut halfs
100g goats cheese
2 long red chillies thinly sliced
50ml extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

METHOD:
Wash beetroot and trim the tops then cut into 2cm chunks. Lay beetroot on baking tray and sprinkle with salt and half the olive oil, using your hands mix together. Place beetroot in oven set at 200oC for 30 minutes.
Put a fry pan over medium heat and in batches gently wilt the the sea beet with remaining olive oil.
Once the beetroot has cooked leave to cool for 15 minutes. Then its time to construct the salad, you can either make individual servings or one large platter. First lay down some sea beet followed by roasted beetroot, crumble desired amount of goats cheese on salad and finally sprinkle over walnuts and chillies then serve.

Fresh Prawn, Crushed Peas Salad with Blackberries, Fennel and Sea Arrow Grass

A lovely little mixed salad of random pairings, nevertheless it definitely works. I've been experimenting with sea arrow grass which grows in sand dunes and has a surprisingly sweet grassy taste with a hint of sea air. I know my description sounds pretentious but if you manage to get the chance do try some and correct me if I'm wrong.
Mixed with some other simple super-food ingredients you have a very tasty and healthy salad. Totally appropriate for this time of year!
Once again Etienne has taken a stunning vivid shot and I must eternally thank him for his time and skills!

600g raw prawns
1kg fresh pea's in the pod
2 fennel
250g blackberries
100g sea arrow grass
50ml extra virgin olive oil
1 small brown onion
1 large red chilli
1 clove garlic
2 teaspoons sea salt

METHOD:
First shell the peas, once shelled place a large pot onto a high heat and add half the olive oil, peas and 1 teaspoon salt. Saute the pea's for 4-5 minutes just to soften them then remove from heat, using the back of a rolling pin of a potato masher roughly bash the pea's for 30 seconds to break them up. Place peas to once side for cooling.
Peel and dice the onion, thinly slice the chilli and peel and crush the garlic. Place a sauce pan over a high heat and add the remainder olive oil, once hot add the onions, garlic and chilli, cook for 2 minutes then add the prawns. Cook the prawn till just pink and slightly under cooked then remove from heat.
Cut the tops off the fennel, slice in half and remove the core then slice very thinly. Wash the sea arrow grass and cut into match stick sized piece's.
Its now time to construct the salad, you can either make individual portions or one large platter. On the base lay down crushed pea's followed by slice's of fennel, prawns and cooking juices. Lastly garnish with blackberries and sea arrow grass and serve.

Wild Wild Rocket and Courgette Salad

Wild wild rocket is what you probably got from the supermarket when it first appeared on the shelf in supermarkets. However over the years conservative taste buds of consumers have watered down the true strong flavour of rocket. Rocket should be nutty and incredibly peppery not weak and limp.
Its time we demand better flavours and ultimately more nutrition from our food suppliers. 
Here's a very simple salad full of wonderful strong flavours, do some research and get your hands on wild wild rocket.

1kg courgettes
70g wild wild rocket washed

DRESSING:
150g parmesan
150ml extra virgin olive oil
1 un-waxed lemon
 Small handful flat parsley
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
Cracked black pepper

METHOD:
Place a large pot of water over high heat and bring to the boil. In the mean time make dressing, finely grate parmesan, zest and juice lemon and place in food processor with olive oil, parsley, mustard and a good cracking of pepper. Blend together for 1 minutes till smooth and put aside till salad is ready.
Using a sharp peeler, peel the courgettes into long strips discarding the core. Once water has come to the boil gently add the courgettes and cook for 15 seconds then strain and run under cold water.
To construct the salad you can either make individual portions or one large platter. First lay down wild rocked followed buy strips of courgettes and lastly drizzle over desired amount of dressing and serve. 

Wild Pork Belly Summer Salad

Summer is well and truly here along with some more interesting ingredients to play around with. Borlotti beans, wet purple garlic and wild fennel are all growing in an abundance this months and we should make an effort to incorporate these 3 amazing vegetable's into our diet while in season.
So I've devised a delightful pork belly salad that incorporates the creamy borlotti beans, milder and sweet wet purple garlic and the peppery aniseed flavours of wild fennel. Perfectly balanced with pork and very healthy!

1kg pork belly
1kg fresh borlotti bean pods
4 wet purple garlic bulbs
40g wild fennel
100g red baby chard washed
500ml apple juice
50ml extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

METHOD:
First cut a criss-cross pattern on the skin of pork then place in a deep roasting tray. Pour apple juice over pork, drizzle half the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover baking tray with foil and place in oven set at 140oC for 2 hours. Cut the head off the garlic exposing the tops of cloves, place in a separate baking tray and drizzle over 100ml of water and the remaining olive oil. Cover tray with foil and place in oven to cook with pork for 40 minutes. Once garlic has cooked leave to stand covered in tray.
Shell the borlotti beans, when the pork has cooked for 2 hours add borlotti beans to the roasting tray and cover once more. Roast pork and beans together for a further hour.
When the pork and beans have cooked remove foil and leave to stand for 20 minutes to cool. In the mean time squeeze the bottoms of garlic bulbs and the soft cloves will pop out, discard the outer skin.
To construct the salad you can either make individual servings or one large platter. Lay the red baby chard down first followed by the beans and several garlic cloves. Using a fork and clean hand shred the pork meat and dress over salad. Lastly garnish with wild fennel and drizzle over the roasting juices. Serve as soon as possible. 

Slow Roasted Beef with Black Mustard Leaf, Pear and Gorgonzola

With a bit of patience you can pull off this ridiculously tasty salad. However first you need to source black mustard leaf which can be a wee bit tricky if you don't have access to a wholesale fruit and vegetable supplier. I recommend you buy a book on foraging and picking your own in a local reserve/park or going online and see if there's a stockist who will deliver, its well worth the hassle. Black mustard leaf when eaten has a intense horseradish like heat that turns into a pleasant lingering bitterness and complements beef, pears and blue cheese.
Acquiring black mustard leaf might be tricky but it's waiting for the beef to slow roast and the jus to reduce that will test your patience, this will give you plenty of time to knock back a bottle of red and read 50 Shades of Grey.  

1.5kg beef shoulder
750ml water
2 tablespoons sea salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
2 firm pears
200g gorgonzola
60g rocket washed
40g black mustard leaf washed

250ml red wine
50g butter

METHOD:
Place beef shoulder in a deep roasting pan with water and sprinkle over the salt and pepper, cover beef and place in oven to slow roast at 140oC for 2 1/2 hours.
Once beef has cooked pour the roasting juices into a container and place in fridge to cool for half an hour or till the fat has solidified. Leave the beef to stand and cool at room temperature.  Once fat has solidified strain the beef juices away from the fat, place beef juices in sauce pan with red wine and place over a high heat and bring to the boil. Once Jus is boiling turn the heat down to medium and leave to simmer and reduce till a quarter of its original volume. In the mean time core the pears and slice into thin strips. Cube butter and once the jus has reduced stir in butter till just melted and remove from heat.
To construct the salad you can either make individual plates or one large platter, first lay down some rocket followed by slice's of pear. Using 2 forks or clean fingers pull the beef apart and place over salad, then tear black mustard cress and crumble gorgonzola over top of salad. Lastly drizzle over the jus and serve as soon as possible.