BABY MARROW SALAD

Serves 6

Dressing:

45ml (3 tbsp) olive oil

Juice of 1 lemon

5ml (1 tsp) runny honey

15ml (1 tbsp) mustard seeds

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Salad:

700g baby marrows

5ml (1 tsp) salt

250g fresh rocket

200g green olives

30g parmesan, coarsely grated

Method:

Place the dressing ingredients in a clean screw-top jar and shake until well combined. Using a mandolin slicer, cut the baby marrows into paper-thin slices. Toss with the salt in a large colander and leave to drain for 20 minutes. Rinse and drain, squeezing to remove excess liquid. Pat dry with a clean dishcloth or paper towel. To serve, place the rocket, olives, baby marrows and half the parmesan in a bowl. Toss with the dressing and garnish with the remaining parmesan.

SALSA FINTA VEGGIE STACK

Salsa finta ("false sauce") is a tomato-based sauce from Sicily, where it was labelled fake because it contained no meat.

Serves 4

Salsa finta:

250ml (1 cup) sun-dried tomatoes

500ml (2 cups) fresh chopped tomatoes

1 soft pitted date, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

15ml (1 tbsp) lemon juice

45ml (3 tbsp) olive oil

6 fresh basil leaves

60ml ( cup) water

Veggie stack:

100g butternut, peeled and thinly sliced

100g beetroot, peeled and thinly sliced

Large handful fresh rocket

½ a cucumber, peeled and sliced into thin ribbons

120g mozzarella or haloumi, thinly sliced

50g parmesan, grated

8 fresh basil leaves, torn

Method:

For the salsa finta, blend all the ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Soak the butternut and beetroot in separate bowls of boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain and pat dry. Place a handful of rocket on each plate. Top with alternating layers of beetroot, butternut, cucumber and mozzarella or haloumi. Place a spoonful of salsa finta on top of each stack and serve garnished with parmesan and basil.

GINGERED APPLE COLESLAW

Serves 6

Salad:

4 carrots, peeled and grated

1 small red cabbage, shredded

2 green apples, sliced into matchsticks

250ml (1 cup) raisins

85ml ( cup) sunflower seeds

85ml ( cup) pumpkin seeds

Dressing:

10ml (2 tsp) honey or maple syrup

30ml (2 tbsp) lemon juice

1cm fresh root ginger, peeled and finely grated

60ml ( cup) vegetable oil

Salt, to taste

Method:

For the salad, toss all the ingredients together in a bowl. For the dressing, stir the honey into the lemon juice until dissolved. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat well. Refrigerate for 15-30 minutes before serving.

TUNA CARPACCIO WITH AVOCADO AND PINEAPPLE SALAD

Serves 2 as a starter

Ingredients:

200g tuna fillet

½ an avocado, diced

½ a pineapple, peeled and diced

15ml (1 tbsp) lime juice

10ml (2 tsp) olive oil

15ml (1 tbsp) fresh coriander leaves, chopped

15ml (1 tbsp) black sesame seeds

Method:

Place the tuna in the freezer for 30 minutes, which will make it easier to slice thinly. Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Using a very sharp knife, slice the tuna very thinly and arrange on a serving platter. Top with the salad and serve immediately.

FRESH TOMATO CONSOMMÉ

Serves 4

Ingredients:

10 medium vine-ripened tomatoes (about 1.8kg), hulled and quartered

22.5ml (1½ tbsp) coarse salt

125ml ( cup) vodka (optional)

12 freshly shucked oysters (optional)

60ml ( cup) fresh chopped basil

1 celery stick, finely chopped

Olive oil, for drizzling

Method:

In a food processor, purée the tomatoes with the salt until smooth. Line a large sieve set over a tall pot with 4 layers of muslin or cheesecloth and pour the tomato purée into the centre of the cloth. Gather the sides of the cloth up to form a sack and, without squeezing the purée, tie the neck securely with string. Make a loop of the string and suspend the sack from a wooden spoon across the top of the pot, removing the sieve. Make sure there is space beneath the sack so it does not sit in the drained liquid. Refrigerate the pot and sack for at least 8 hours. Pour the drained tomato water into 4 soup bowls, discarding the solids left in the sack. Add 2 ice cubes to each bowl. Divide the vodka between the bowls and top with an oyster. Garnish with basil and celery and drizzle with olive oil.