August 2024 - Leann's Heritage Beetroot, Spiced Cauliflower and Chickpea Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients

3 - 4 heritage beets

2 tbsp cider vinegar

2 tbsp runny honey (this could be replaced with something else sweet such as Agave Syrup to make the dish vegan)

1 lemon zested and juiced

1 cauliflower

50g sumac

Soaked Chickpeas

Crushed hazelnuts

Olive oil

Chilli powder

Pinch salt

150g Rocket

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 small orange, juiced

Method

1. Pre heat oven to 180°C

2. Peel and finely slice the beets making sure to slice them horizontally to maximise the beautiful natural patterns.

3. Mix together half each of the cider vinegar, honey and lemon juice. Pour the mixture over the beet slices and toss them until they’re completely coated. Leave to marinade for at least 30mins (up to 24hours depending on when you’d like to serve. Keep in mind that the beets will increasingly soften the longer they’re marinated)

4. Prepare the cauliflower by removing the leaves and cutting into quarters. Combine a good few glugs of olive oil, all 50g of sumac and a generous pinch of salt.

5. Coat the cauliflower quarters in the sumac mixture and bake in the oven, turning the quarters over half way through, for 25-30 mins, or until soft on the inside and slightly crispy on the outside.

6. Once the cauliflower is ready remove from the oven.

7. Now pop a large based pan on a medium heat. Once hot throw in the whole hazelnuts, chickpeas, chili powder and a pinch of salt. Keeping the nuts and chickpeas moving, toast them for 3-5 minutes ( don’t let them burn) then remove them from the heat.

8. For the dressing combine the rest of the honey, vinegar and lemon juice. Add in the orange juice, lemon zest, mustard and 2 tsp olive oil. Whisk until emulsified (if you have an electric whisk it will save time)

9. Layer the beetroot over the bottom of the presentation plate. Save a few pretty slices to pop on top of the dish.

10. Break the cauliflower into smaller pieces and scatter over the top of the beets.

11. Sprinkle the hazelnuts and chickpeas over the whole dish.

12. Rinse the rocket and dress it with a teaspoon of the mustard dressing.

13. Pop the rocket into the middle of the plate and place the reserved slices of beets on top for added prettiness.

14. Dress the entire dish with the dressing and serve.

15. Enjoy!