Super Duper Salads
I'm a firm believer that salads don't need to be boring so when I'm cooking for a crowd I like to do a variety of fun and interesting salads for everyone to enjoy. These three salads are some of my favourites and they always go down well at a party. They all have contrasts in textures and flavours which is really important for a successful salad.
The first is red cabbage and raw parsnip based, with dates for sweetness, orange juice for sourness and thyme for freshness. The second is a warm salad of butternut squash, fennel, garlic, wild rice and freshly shaved parmesan. And finally, the third is a a refreshing salad of shaved summer vegetables all brought together with a rich french-style dressing. These salads are more than just side dishes, more than just an after thought and they will stand pride of place at any dining table.
Below I have given recipes for smaller quantities as not to overwhelm, I tend to double or even triple the quantities when serving a crowd.
Red Cabbage, Parsnip, Orange and Dates
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Serves 2 as a main, 4 as a side
1 large orange
1/4 small red cabbage, core removed, finely shredded
1 small parsnip, peeled and coarsely grated
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
8 Medjool dates, stoned and halved
a few sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves removed and chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Slice the top and bottom off the orange. Stand it upright on a board and work your way around it with a sharp knife, cutting off the skin and all the pith. Cut into segments, working over a bowl to collect all the juice and letting the segments fall into the bowl. When you've finished, squeeze the juice from the remaining membrane into the bowl too.
Put the finely shredded cabbage and grated parsnip into another bowl, add most of the orange juice (not the segments yet) and trickle over the olive oil. Add a little salt and pepper, toss the lot together with your hands.
Scatter the orange segments and date slices over the red cabbage and parsnip, then finish with a scattering of thyme. Serve straight away.
Warm Salad of Butternut Squash and Fennel
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Serves 4 as a main, 8 as a side
1 butternut squash (around 600g)
5 tbsp rapeseed oil
3 fennel bulbs, trimmed
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
200g wild rice (or spelt or pearl barley or couscous)
juice of 1/2 lemon
20g parmesan, finely grated, plus extra to serve
a small handful of fresh parsley, roughly chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 190C/Gas Mark 5. Peel, halve and deseed the squash, then cut into small chunks and scatter in a large roasting tray. Drizzle over two tablespoons of the oil and season well with salt and pepper. Toss so that the squash it well coated and put into the oven to roast. Meanwhile, cut the fennel lengthways into 6 or 8 wedges.
After 15 minutes, add the fennel and garlic to the roasting tin with the squash and another tablespoon of oil. Roast for a further 20 minutes or so, until the vegetables are soft and starting to caramelise around the edges.
While the veg are roasting, cook the wild rice (or spelt or pearl barley) according to packet instructions. Drain well and leave to cool a little. Toss with the roasted veg and any oil from the roasting tin, the rest of the rapeseed oil, the lemon juice, cheese and parsley. Shave over some more parmesan (a veg peeler works really well for this) and serve warm or cold.
Shaved Summer Veg Salad
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Serves 4 as main, 8 as a side
2 small pre-cooked beetroots (about 150g)
1 medium kohlrabi (about 150g)
150g radishes
1 medium courgette (about 150g)
For the dressing:
1 tsp English mustard
2 tsp clear honey
1 tbsp lemon juice
4 tbsp rapeseed oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Trim all the vegetables, and peel the kohlrabi. Use a mandoline, a vegetable peeler or a very sharp knife to shave/slice them as thinly as you can. Arrange on a serving platter.
For the dressing, shake all the ingredients together in a screw-topped jar or whisk together in a bowl until emulsified. Drizzle generously over the salad and serve.
The first is red cabbage and raw parsnip based, with dates for sweetness, orange juice for sourness and thyme for freshness. The second is a warm salad of butternut squash, fennel, garlic, wild rice and freshly shaved parmesan. And finally, the third is a a refreshing salad of shaved summer vegetables all brought together with a rich french-style dressing. These salads are more than just side dishes, more than just an after thought and they will stand pride of place at any dining table.
Below I have given recipes for smaller quantities as not to overwhelm, I tend to double or even triple the quantities when serving a crowd.
Red Cabbage, Parsnip, Orange and Dates
Serves 2 as a main, 4 as a side1 large orange
1/4 small red cabbage, core removed, finely shredded
1 small parsnip, peeled and coarsely grated
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
8 Medjool dates, stoned and halved
a few sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves removed and chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Slice the top and bottom off the orange. Stand it upright on a board and work your way around it with a sharp knife, cutting off the skin and all the pith. Cut into segments, working over a bowl to collect all the juice and letting the segments fall into the bowl. When you've finished, squeeze the juice from the remaining membrane into the bowl too.
Put the finely shredded cabbage and grated parsnip into another bowl, add most of the orange juice (not the segments yet) and trickle over the olive oil. Add a little salt and pepper, toss the lot together with your hands.
Scatter the orange segments and date slices over the red cabbage and parsnip, then finish with a scattering of thyme. Serve straight away.
Warm Salad of Butternut Squash and Fennel
1 butternut squash (around 600g)
5 tbsp rapeseed oil
3 fennel bulbs, trimmed
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
200g wild rice (or spelt or pearl barley or couscous)
juice of 1/2 lemon
20g parmesan, finely grated, plus extra to serve
a small handful of fresh parsley, roughly chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 190C/Gas Mark 5. Peel, halve and deseed the squash, then cut into small chunks and scatter in a large roasting tray. Drizzle over two tablespoons of the oil and season well with salt and pepper. Toss so that the squash it well coated and put into the oven to roast. Meanwhile, cut the fennel lengthways into 6 or 8 wedges.
After 15 minutes, add the fennel and garlic to the roasting tin with the squash and another tablespoon of oil. Roast for a further 20 minutes or so, until the vegetables are soft and starting to caramelise around the edges.
While the veg are roasting, cook the wild rice (or spelt or pearl barley) according to packet instructions. Drain well and leave to cool a little. Toss with the roasted veg and any oil from the roasting tin, the rest of the rapeseed oil, the lemon juice, cheese and parsley. Shave over some more parmesan (a veg peeler works really well for this) and serve warm or cold.
Shaved Summer Veg Salad
Serves 4 as main, 8 as a side2 small pre-cooked beetroots (about 150g)
1 medium kohlrabi (about 150g)
150g radishes
1 medium courgette (about 150g)
For the dressing:
1 tsp English mustard
2 tsp clear honey
1 tbsp lemon juice
4 tbsp rapeseed oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Trim all the vegetables, and peel the kohlrabi. Use a mandoline, a vegetable peeler or a very sharp knife to shave/slice them as thinly as you can. Arrange on a serving platter.
For the dressing, shake all the ingredients together in a screw-topped jar or whisk together in a bowl until emulsified. Drizzle generously over the salad and serve.
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