Freekeh, spiced heritage carrots and Medjool date and pine nut salad
This recipe is my take on the medieval green wheat salad, using spices and dried fruits to bring out the earthiness of the grain. The carrots add colour and vibrancy, complementing the sweetness of the dates, and the citrussy dressing creating a taste of the Middle East.
Serves 6-8 INGREDIENTS
500 g heritage carrots
120 ml olive oil
2 tsp each of cumin seeds and coriander seeds
200 g freekeh
50 g pine nuts, lightly toasted 40 g golden raisins
90 g Medjool dates
1 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
Juice of ½ orange and ½ lemon 2 tbsp date syrup + extra for drizzling
25 g fresh coriander and of fresh mint, chopped
Salt and pepper
METHOD
G Preheat oven to 180 °C.
G Top and tail the carrots, bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil and place the whole carrots in salted water for 5 minutes until just beginning to soften. Drain then place the carrots in a roasting tin, with the cumin and coriander seed. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle over half the olive oil. Toss to coat the carrots evenly.
G Roast for 15-20 minutes until soft, and beginning to caramelise slightly at the edges. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
G Rinse the freekeh for 2-3 minutes under cold water to remove remaining chaff or grit. Drain then place in a lidded saucepan with 450ml water. Cook on a medium heat for 20-25 minutes until the water has absorbed into the grain and it is tender, but still has a slight bite. Place a lid on the pan, remove from the heat and leave to steam for 10 minutes before placing in a serving bowl.
G Mix the remaining olive oil in a jug with the orange and lemon juice, sweet paprika and ground cumin, salt, pepper and date syrup. G Pour most of the dressing onto the warm freekeh, add the pine nuts, golden raisins, coriander and mint.
G Slice the carrots on the diagonal,. Pit and chop the dates into quarters, then add them to the salad and garnish with coriander leaves and an extra drizzle of date syrup or left-over dressing.