Goats' cheese, apple, candied pecan and passionfruit salad

Baked goats' cheese is one of my biggest weaknesses. I love this salad: I love the passion fruit dressing, the crisp apple slices and the burst you get from the fresh blueberries. It all matches the baked cheese perfectly.

The spiced blueberry jam will keep for up to one month in the fridge and the dressing will keep for 10 days.

The candied pecans will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three weeks. They also make awesome predinner nibbles.

The passionfruit syrup, if you don’t have any you can use a good quality cloudy apple juice instead.

1 Tbsp caster sugar

50ml olive oil salt freshly cracked black pepper

For the salad

400g goats' cheese log, cut into four thick

slices

100g rocket or salad leaves

150g green beans, blanched and

refreshed

150g fresh blueberries

2 Granny Smith apples, cored

2 braeburn or red apples, cored salt freshly ground black pepper

Method

Make the spiced blueberry jam first. In a saucepan place your frozen blueberries, onion, red wine vinegar, caster sugar, fenugreek, mustard powder, ginger and cardamom. Put it over a medium to high heat, bring up to the boil and then turn down to a rolling simmer and cook until the liquid has mostly reduced and you are left with a thickish jam, about 25 minutes. Take off the heat and leave to cool.

Preheat your oven to 170degC (150degC fan). Line a baking tray with some baking paper. Put your pecans, icing sugar, mixed spice and water into a small bowl and mix well before pouring on to the baking tray. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the nuts are candied and crisp. Leave the oven on.

Next make your dressing. In another small mixing bowl, pour in your lemon juice, passionfruit syrup, white wine vinegar, passionfruit pulp and sugar and whisk to mix. Still whisking, slowly drizzle in your olive oil and season.

Place your slices of goats' cheese on to a baking tray and put into the hot oven until softened and warm about 10 to 15 minutes. Place your salad leaves in a large bowl with the candied pecans, green beans and fresh blueberries. Just before you take your goats' cheese out of the oven, slice your unpeeled apples into thin slices and add to the bowl of salad ingredients. Drizzle with the dressing, season, mix gently with your hands and pile on to four plates. Place a piece of warmed goats' cheese on top of each salad and finish with a generous spoonful of blueberry jam on top. Eat straight away.