January Salad

We might as well start with a little healthy eating, it is all too easy to forget to eat salads in the Winter, this one might just get you excited. Shaved Celeriac, Kalettes and Spinach are livened up with Pink Grapefruit, Crunchy Croutons and a Caesar Salad dressing.

Ingredients Serves 4-6

For the croutons 
2 slices of Sourdough Bread 
2 tbsp Sunflower Oil
1 Garlic Clove, crushed

For the Caesar dressing 
50g raw Cashew Nuts

1 Garlic Clove, crushed
Juice of 1 Lemon

1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
2 heaped tbsp Parmesan 
100ml Rapeseed Oil 
Salt and Cayenne Pepper

For the salad 
o    1 Celeriac, peeled 
o    150g Kalettes 
o    100g Baby Spinach 
o    2 Pink Grapefruit, peeled and segmented 
o    1 tbsp Capers

Method
• Begin by making the garlic croutons. Cut the sourdough into small chunks. Heat the oil in a medium-sized, heavy-based frying pan over a moderate heat, toss in the bread, and garlic and fry for 2-3 minutes, until golden. Drain on kitchen paper.

• Prepare the Caesar dressing. Put the nuts, garlic, lemon juice, mustard and Parmesan into a food processor and blitz to a smooth paste. With the blade still running, pour in the oil, a little at a time. When it has all emulsified, taste, season with salt and cayenne pepper and taste again.

• Shave the celeriac with a wide-mouthed peeler. Place the shavings in a bowl of lightly salted cold water with the remains of the squeezed lemon until ready to use.

• Drain the celeriac from the water, dab it dry on kitchen paper, then combine with the kalettes and spinach leaves in a serving dish. Scatter the grapefruit segments, capers and croutons on top and finish with the Caesar dressing. 

© Peter Gladwin. This recipe is from An English Vineyard Cookbook, which is available to buy from our cellar door and online shop. All proceeds are donated to London charity City Harvest.