Super Natural Every Day (11 page)

500 g cooked wholegrain rice (see
Wild Rice
), heated

4 handfuls baby spinach, stems trimmed

85 g walnut halves, toasted (see
Wholegrain Breadcrumbs
)

210 g sweet cherries, pitted

120 ml extra-virgin olive oil

60 ml white wine vinegar

Fine sea salt

A few small basil leaves

A bit of goat’s cheese, crumbled (optional)

Combine the hot rice, spinach, and most of the walnuts in a large bowl. Toss until the spinach wilts a bit.

Make the cherry vinaigrette by combining onethird of the cherries, the olive oil, white wine vinegar, and ¼ teaspoon salt and blending until smooth. Add a generous splash of the dressing to the salad.

Tear the remaining cherries in half and stir most of them into the rice. Taste and add more salt, if needed. Turn the salad out onto a platter and finish with the last of the cherries, walnuts, basil, and goat’s cheese. Serve immediately.

SERVES 6

Shaved Fennel Salad

ZUCCHINI COINS, FETA, PINE NUTS

	My friend Malinda showed me how to make this salad one rainy weekend while sharing a rustic cabin with a handful of friends, two dogs, one baby, and quite a bit of good wine. My enthusiasm for it can’t be overstated. For such a short ingredient list, there’s an impressive range of textures and flavours.
There’s the peppery kick of the rocket playing off the lemon, olive oil, and cool dill. Then there are the bright anise notes from the fennel, the crunch of the pine nuts, and the creamy tanginess of the feta.
To make quick work of the slicing required here, I sometimes use my mandolin. You can certainly use a knife, but do your best to slice very, very thinly—not quite “see-through” thin, but close.

1 medium–large zucchini (courgette), sliced into paper-thin coins

2 small fennel bulbs, trimmed and shaved paper-thin

15 g chopped fresh dill

80 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 3 juicy lemons), plus more if needed

80 ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus more if needed

Fine sea salt

4 or 5 generous handfuls rocket

Honey, if needed

60 g pine nuts, toasted (see
Wholegrain Breadcrumbs
)

60 g feta cheese, crumbled

Combine the zucchini, fennel, and dill in a bowl and toss with the lemon juice, olive oil, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Set aside and allow to marinate for 20 minutes, or up to an hour.

When you are ready to serve the salad, put the rocket in a large salad bowl. Scoop all of the zucchini and fennel onto the rocket, and pour most of the lemon juice dressing on top of that. Toss gently but thoroughly. Taste and adjust with more of the dressing, olive oil, lemon juice, or salt, if needed. If your lemons are particularly tart (which happens to me on occasion), you may need to counter the pucker factor by adding a tiny drizzle of honey into the salad at this point. Let your tastebuds guide you. Serve topped with the pine nuts and feta cheese.

SERVES 4–6

Mixed Melon Bowl

MINT, LEMON JUICE, FETA, KALAMATA OLIVES

	Here I combine big chunks of fragrant melon with feta, kalamata olives, and a bit of chopped mint. It’s the sort of thing to make at the peak of summer when a wide range of melons is available—honeydew, rockmelon. Simple, with clean, clear flavours, it’s perfect served with a nice riesling or any crisp and bubbly white wine.
Look for brick-shaped feta, which is easy to cut into small and somewhat defined cubes.

1.25 kg melon (mixed varietals), peeled, seeded, cut into 2.5 cm chunks, and chilled

8 fresh mint leaves, finely chopped

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

45 g feta cheese, cut into 1 cm cubes

12 kalamata olives, pitted and torn in half

Put the melon in a large serving bowl and toss gently with the mint and lemon juice. If you’re serving the salad for everyone to share, sprinkle the feta and olives across the top of the melon. Alternatively, plate the melon individually, ensuring each serve has a few pieces of feta as well as a few olives. You want to get all of the flavours in each bite.

SERVES 4

Ravioli Salad

BLACK OLIVES, PEPITAS

This pasta salad is right at home at just about any potluck or party—and it’s particularly happy parked next to a bowl brimming with a leafy green salad. I made it first for my sister’s baby shower, and a dozen times since. As far as choosing the right type of ravioli, I keep capsicum ravioli with silverbeet filling on hand (in the freezer) just for this salad. I like the play between the capsicum and the zesty lemon-coriander pesto. But you can take the idea in a number of directions, and both English spinach and wholemeal ravioli are worthy substitutes. If you can imagine the filling going well with the coriander pesto, you’re probably in safe territory.

45 g pepitas, toasted (see
Wholegrain Breadcrumbs
)

1 large handful coriander leaves and stems

15 g freshly grated parmesan cheese

3 garlic cloves

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more if needed

160 ml extra-virgin olive oil Fine sea salt

450 g fresh or frozen ravioli

85 g oil-cured black olives, pitted and torn or chopped

Thyme or chive flowers, to garnish (optional)

Bring a large pot of water to the boil. In the meantime, make the coriander pesto. Combine most of the pepitas, coriander, parmesan cheese, garlic, lemon juice, and a splash of the olive oil and blend with a stick blender (or in a food processor or standard blender) until smooth. Continue blending as you gradually drizzle in the remaining olive oil, until the pesto comes together into a vibrant green sauce. Taste and add salt or more lemon juice, if needed.

When the water boils, salt it generously, add the ravioli, and cook until they float and are cooked through, usually just 1–2 minutes. Drain immediately and while still hot, toss with a big spoonful of the pesto. Allow the pesto to soak in a bit. Then add another ½ cup pesto along with most of the black olives. Toss well, but gently, and then decide whether you want to add more pesto or not.

Turn everything out into a large bowl or platter and sprinkle with the remaining olives, pepitas, and flowers. Serve warm or at room temperature. Reserve the remaining pesto for tossing with leftovers.

SERVES 4–6

Yellow Split Peas & Greens

MIXED GREENS, GREEN CHILLI, LEMON JUICE

	This is the sort of dish you can see from across the room. Festive and colourful, the bright yellow spilt peas in the salad act as a beacon.
To keep things lively, I use a version of coriander pesto here that is slightly spicier than the one in my ravioli salad (see Ravioli Salad ).
If you don’t have the time or inclination to cook the yellow split peas from scratch, tinned white beans (or even chickpeas) can take their place with good results.

300 g yellow split peas, rinsed and picked over

Fine sea salt

125 g pepitas, toasted (see
Wholegrain Breadcrumbs
)

1 large handful coriander leaves and stems

15 g freshly grated parmesan cheese

3 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

160 ml extra-virgin olive oil

1 small hot green chilli (such as serrano or jalapeño), mostly seeded and deveined

2 large handfuls mixed salad greens

Bring 1.25 litres water to the boil in a large saucepan. Add the yellow split peas and simmer, uncovered, for 20–30 minutes, until tender. Drain and salt to taste. Make the coriander pesto by combining one-third of the toasted pepitas, the coriander, parmesan cheese, garlic, lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon salt, a splash of the olive oil, and the chilli and blend with a stick blender (or in a food processor or standard blender) until smooth. Continue blending as you gradually drizzle in the olive oil, until the pesto comes together into a vibrant green sauce. Taste and add a pinch or two of salt, if needed.