A feast to celebrate Spring and the first Sunday lunch in the sunshine of 2022. An assortment of salads, chickpea bread, goat milk panna cotta and a hibiscus water kefir.

On the menu:

• Cauliflower Salad with Olives and Capers ~ from The Art of Simple Food (recipe below)

• Orange and olive salad ~ from The Art of Simple Food (recipe below)

• Lambs lettuce, beetroot kraut and artichoke salad.

• Roasted courgettes with Ottolenghi’s anchovy garlic dressing.

• Chickpea flour flatbread

• Goat milk, vanilla and blood orange panna cotta

• Hibiscus water kefir

Orange and Olive Salad

Ingredients:

• 4 small or 3 medium oranges ~ blood oranges are so nice for this
• 1 small red onion
• 2 tablespoons of orange juice
• 1 teaspoon of red wine vinegar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• Small black olives (4 or 5 per person) ~ use nicoise olives if you can find them, but any black briny olive will do (large ones can be coarsely chopped, if you like).

Recipe:

1. Remove the peel and membrane of the oranges, exposing their juicy flesh.
2. Slice the oranges in 5mm-thick round pinwheels and arrange them on a plate.
3. Cut the onion in half lengthwise, peel and slice thinly (onions sliced horizontally are prettier than onions sliced lengthwise).
4. If the onion is particularly strong, soak in ice water for 5 to 10 minutes and drain well before adding to the salad.
5. Make a vinaigrette by mixing together the orange juice, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper.
6. Whisk in the olive oil.
7. Taste and adjust with more salt and vinegar as needed.
8. Scatter the onion slices over the oranges and spoon the vinaigrette on top.
9. Garnish with the olives (if you leave them unpitted, remember to tell your friends).
10. Enjoy :~)

Cauliflower Salad with Olives and Capers

Ingredients:

• 1 medium cauliflower
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 40g pitted olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley ~ marjoram, basil or mint can also be used as an alternative
• 1 tablespoon of capers, rinsed and chopped ~ these can be substituted for 40g sliced radishes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Recipe:

1. Trim the leaves and core from the cauliflower and break apart or cut into small florets.
2. Cook the cauliflower until just done in salted boiling water, drain and let cool.
3. In a large bowl stir the lemon juice, salt and pepper.
4. Whisk in the olive oil.
5. Add the cauliflower and toss with the dressing.
6. Taste and add salt and lemon as needed.
7. Add the olives, parsley and capers.
8. Toss gently.
9. Enjoy :~)