Food, family & friendship:
hearty salads with an international flavour, made to share
Basil-olive tapenade with potatoes, pasta, green beans and capers
SERVES 4~6 ● VEGAN This salad is perfect picnic fare, marrying two outdoor dining staples – potato salad and pasta salad – into one offering. You could experiment with your favourite potato variety and pasta shape. 700g medium sized waxy potatoes, halved 500g short pasta (such as penne, orecchiette or rigatoni) 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 200g green beans, trimmed and halved 3 tablespoons sunflower seeds, toasted 60g salted capers, rinsed ½ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped sea salt
BASIL–OLIVE TAPENADE
2 garlic cloves 1 cup basil leaves ½ cup pitted black olives (preferably wrinkly ones) ½ cup walnuts, toasted ⅓ cup (80ml) extra-virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar sea salt and black pepper
SUBSTITUTES
Potatoes: sweet potato or Jerusalem artichokes green beans: asparagus or garden peas 1 To make the tapenade, place the garlic in a mortar, sprinkle over a pinch of salt and pound with a pestle to form a paste. Add the basil and pound until the leaves have broken down, then add the olives and walnuts and pound again until you get a thick paste. Stir in the olive oil and vinegar and season with pepper. (Alternatively, you can always throw these ingredients in a food processor and blitz away.) 2 Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil, add the potatoes and cook for 15–20 minutes until they are just tender – the exact cooking time will depend on the size and variety of your potatoes so keep an eye on them, as you don’t want them so soft that they are breaking apart. When ready, drain. 3 Bring another saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the packet instructions until al dente. Drain and combine the warm pasta with the warm potatoes. 4 Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan, add the green beans and sauté for 4–5 minutes until the beans are bright green, just tender and beginning to colour. 5 Combine the tapenade, pasta, potatoes and beans along with a swirl of olive oil to loosen everything up. Toss together well. To serve, scatter over the sunflower seeds, capers and parsley.
Roasted carrots with green beans, mung beans and coconut dukkah
SERVES 4~6 ● VEGAN, GLUTEN FREE This recipe makes a generous amount of coconut dukkah, more than you will need – if you don’t want extra, halve the recipe. 1 red onion, finely sliced 4-5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 10 carrots (about 1.5kg), sliced diagonally 300g dried mung beans 250g green beans, trimmed ½ cup coriander leaves ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves 3 tablespoons finely sliced Spring onions juice of ½ lemon sea salt and black pepper
COCONUT DUKKAH (MAKES 1 CUP)
4 white peppercorns 2 tablespoons coriander seeds 2 tablespoons cumin seeds ½ cup almonds or shelled pistachios, toasted ½ cup (45g) desiccated coconut, toasted 2 tablespoons white sesame seeds, toasted 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds 1 tablespoon nigella seeds 1 teaspoon sea salt 1 Preheat the oven to 200°C. 2 To make the Coconut Dukkah, place a frying pan over a medium heat and toast the peppercorns and the coriander and cumin seeds until fragrant and popping, about 60 seconds. Add to a mortar and pound with a pestle to a coarse powder, then add the nuts and pound again until chunky. Mix through the coconut, sesame seeds, nigella seeds and salt. 3 Coat the red onion slices in 2 teaspoons of olive oil and set aside. Place the carrots on a large baking tray, coat in 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil, season with salt and pepper and place in the oven to roast. After 20 minutes, add the sliced red onion to the baking tray and roast for a further 10 minutes or until the carrots and onion are both tender and golden. 4 Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil, add the mung beans and simmer for 25–30 minutes until tender. Drain. 5 In a large frying pan, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and fry the green beans until just tender and starting to colour. Remove from the pan. 6 Combine the carrots, mung beans, green beans, herbs, a drizzle of olive oil and a good squeeze of lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Scatter over the coconut dukkah and serve.
Kinda-niçoise with fried green beans, roasted kale, lentils, steamed eggs and caper mayo
SERVES 4~6 ● GLUTEN FREE There is much to love about a classic salade niçoise. My version celebrates the salty, acidic, green-ness of a classic niçoise, bringing in soft, silky steamed eggs as my protein component. 6 large eggs, at room temperature 200g puy lentils, rinsed 2–3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 150g green beans, trimmed and halved 1 bunch of kale leaves, washed thoroughly, central stems removed, leaves torn ½ cup basil leaves, torn ½ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves 1 tablespoon tarragon leaves ½ small red onion, very finely sliced 3 radishes (about 100g), very finely sliced 200g cherry tomatoes, halved ½ cup pitted black olives (whichever variety), torn 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar sea salt and black pepper
CAPER MAYONNAISE
1 cup (250g) whole-egg mayonnaise ½ cup (125g) natural yoghurt 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon salted capers, rinsed and roughly chopped squeeze of lemon juice 1 small garlic clove, very finely chopped sea salt and black pepper
SUBSTITUTE
puy lentils: another variety of lentil 1 To make the Caper Mayonnaise, whisk together the mayonnaise, yoghurt and olive oil until well combined. Stir in the capers, lemon juice and garlic and season with pepper and a little salt to taste (you shouldn’t need much salt as the capers will already make this quite salty). 2 Fill a saucepan with water to a depth of 3cm and sit a steamer basket on the top. Place the eggs in the steamer basket, cover with a lid and bring the water to the boil. Steam the eggs for around 5 minutes for soft-boiled, 7 minutes for medium or around 9 minutes for hard-boiled. (Of course, the amount of time will depend on the size of your eggs, so you may have to try this a few times to get it perfect for you!) When ready, immediately cool under cold running water. 3 Add the lentils to a saucepan of salted water, bring to the boil and cook for 20-25 minutes until just tender. Drain. 4 In a large frying pan, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and fry the green beans for 3-4 minutes until they are just tender and are starting to char. Remove the beans from the pan and add another tablespoon of oil, then add the kale and cook for a few minutes until wilted and starting to colour. 5 Combine the beans, kale and herbs with the red onion, radishes, tomatoes, olives and lentils. Pour over the red wine vinegar, drizzle with some olive oil and season with salt and pepper. To serve, pile the salad on a serving dish and drizzle the caper mayo over the top. Peel the eggs, then break up or slice them and place over the salad, finishing with a few good grinds of pepper.
Freekeh with deli vegetables, kale pesto and chilli parmesan sunflower seeds
SERVES 4~6 ● VEGETARIAN This salad is an homage to the multicultural delicatessens that are the heart of neighbourhoods around the world. 4 cups marinated deli vegetables such as sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, olives, capers, eggplants and capsicums 400g freekeh, rinsed 3 tablespoons roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves ½ cup basil leaves, torn juice of ½ lemon sea salt and black pepper
KALE PESTO
½ bunch of kale leaves, washed thoroughly 1 garlic clove, very finely chopped ½ cup sunflower seeds, toasted 185ml (¾ cup) extra-virgin olive oil 3 tablespoons grated parmesan sea salt and black pepper
CHILLI–PARMESAN SUNFLOWER SEEDS
¾ cup sunflower seeds 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons grated parmesan ½ teaspoon chilli powder or chilli flakes
SUBSTITUTES
freekeh: spelt, faro or pearl barley For gluten free, use quinoa in place of freekeh 1 Roughly chop or tear up the marinated vegetables with your hands. The shape and size is up to you. 2 Add the freekeh to a large saucepan of salted water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes until the grains are tender. Drain. 3 To make the Kale Pesto, blitz the kale, garlic and sunflower seeds together in a food processor, gradually adding the olive oil along with 1 tablespoon of water, until you have a smooth, green sauce. Stir in the parmesan and season to taste with salt and pepper. 4 For the Chilli–Parmesan Sunflower Seeds, preheat the oven to 150°C. In a bowl, combine the sunflower seeds, olive oil, parmesan and chilli powder or flakes (the heat factor is dependent upon the type of chilli powder you use, so exercise your discretion here and vary the amount according to your preference). Mix well to coat the seeds evenly in the flavourings, spread on a baking tray and bake for 10-12 minutes until the cheese is melted and the seeds are golden. 5 Combine the freekeh, marinated vegetables and herbs and season with salt and pepper. Squeeze over the lemon juice, spoon over big dollops of the Kale Pesto and fold through gently. To serve, sprinkle over some Chilli–Parmesan Sunflower Seeds (you may have extra, so store them in an airtight jar to snack on later).
Parsley, mache and comte pesto with roasted brussels sprouts, green beans and quinoa
SERVES 4~6 ● GLUTEN FREE This salad celebrates the beautiful autumnal produce at the markets in Isle sur la Sorgue, just outside Avignon, France. 1kg brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved 2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 200g white or red quinoa (or a mixture), rinsed 1½ cups (375ml) vegetable stock 250g green beans, trimmed ½ cup pitted black olives, torn ½ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped sea salt and black pepper
PARSLEY, MACHE AND COMTE PESTO
1 small garlic clove, roughly chopped ¾ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped 1 cup mache (lamb’s lettuce) 40g almonds (or pine nuts), roughly chopped ½ cup (125ml) extra-virgin olive oil zest and juice of ½ lemon 40g comte cheese, grated sea salt and black pepper
SUBSTITUTES
comte: gruyere, cheddar mache (lamb’s lettuce): baby rocket leaves or spinach leaves 1 Preheat the oven to 200°C. 2 To make the pesto, place the garlic in a mortar and sprinkle over a good pinch of salt. Pound with the pestle to form a paste, then add the parsley and mache and pound until the leaves have broken down. Add the nuts and pound again to a rough paste, then slowly pour over the oil and stir together until smooth. Add the lemon zest and juice and the cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste. 3 Place the brussels sprouts on a baking tray, drizzle with 1-2 tablespoons of oil and
season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20-25 minutes until tender and golden. 4 Add the quinoa and vegetable stock to a saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low and leave to simmer for 15 minutes, or until the quinoa is tender and translucent and all the liquid has been absorbed (if there is any liquid left over at this point simply drain it off). Leave the quinoa in the hot saucepan off the heat for 5-10 minutes to allow it to dry out, then fluff up the grains with a fork. 5 In a frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and add the green beans with a pinch of salt. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, until the beans are just tender and starting to colour. 6 Combine the brussels sprouts, beans, quinoa and olives. Spoon over the pesto and stir well, then scatter over the parsley to finish.
Globe artichokes with cannellini beans, cherry tomatoes, lemon and buffalo mozzarella
SERVES 4~6 ● VEGETARIAN For years, I resisted the urge to cook globe artichokes – I wondered if all that preparation was really worth it. But while in Provençe, with time and patience on our side, our family discovered the joys of freshly prepared artichokes. zest and juice of 1 lemon 6 globe artichokes (about 1.3kg) 400g spelt grains 2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 garlic clove, very finely chopped 1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary leaves 2 teaspoons finely chopped oregano leaves 250g cherry tomatoes, halved 500g cooked cannellini beans (about 2 cans), drained 2 cups baby rocket leaves 300g buffalo mozzarella, torn into chunks 1 long red chilli, deseeded and sliced into very thin strips ½ cup basil leaves, torn 3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted sea salt and black pepper 1 Begin by preparing the artichokes. Squeeze half the lemon juice into a large bowl of water. Trim the artichoke stalks to about 3cm in length, then slice about 2cm off the top of each globe. Peel away and discard the outer two or three layers of the artichoke until you get to the inner yellow leaves, then trim around the stalk with a paring knife, peeling away the tough outer skin. Cut the artichokes in half, carefully remove and discard the furry chokes and place the artichoke halves in the bowl of lemon water to stop them browning. 2 Bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Add the spelt grains and cook for 20-25 minutes until tender. Drain. 3 Slice the prepared artichoke halves into thin wedges. Heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium–high heat, add the garlic, rosemary and oregano leaves and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the artichoke with a big pinch of salt and pepper and sauté for 4-5 minutes, adding a splash of water halfway through cooking, until tender. 4 Combine the tomatoes, cannellini beans, spelt grains and rocket leaves and spread the mixture evenly over a large serving plate or platter. Dot the artichokes, mozzarella, chilli strips and torn basil over the salad, then add the lemon zest and the remaining lemon juice. To serve, season with sea salt and black pepper, drizzle with olive oil and scatter over the pine nuts.