Day 14: Rocket, Grapefruit and Blue Cheese Salad

Christmas Day ... lots of cooking today ... however, the easiest recipe for Talia to accompany me with today (in the hustle and bustle of Xmas deadlines) was the Rocket, Grapefruit and Blue Cheese Salad.

 

Ingredients:

• 100 grams Baby rocket leaves (more if you’d like … see how it looks/feels)
• 100 grams Baby spinach leaves  (as above)
• 100 grams pine nuts
• 200 grams Blue Castello cheese – use only as much as you like for taste.
• 1-2 ruby red grapefruits – use only as much as needed to add a ‘tart’ contrast.
• Honey Mustard Salad  Dressing – either home-made or Paul Newman’s dressing
• Bunch of coriander 

Method:

1.   Toss baby spinach leaves and rocket leaves into a large salad bowl

2.   Peel the grapefruit and finely slice it into segments  (if too tart, place in boiling water and   honey for 30 seconds – then put on a plate to cool down). Place on a separate plate.

3.   Slice Blue Castello cheese into tiny fine segments – using your fingers or spoon, toss and distribute the blue cheese throughout the salad leaves

4.   Add the slices of grapefruit into the salad – and toss

5.   Drizzle the Honey and Mustard salad dressing over the salad – not too much, keep it light, so that it doesn’t overwhelm the tartness of the grapefruit and earthiness of the Blue cheese.

6.   Sprinkle 50 to 100 grams of pine nuts – follow your instinct on how many are needed … so that it tastes and ‘plates’ up nicely. Think of sprinkling a lovely layer of pine nuts that will create a texture and nutty taste to the salad.

7.   Chop a handful of coriander and garnish the salad

8.   Do a final toss of the salad to ensure all the ingredients combine together in a flavoursome, but pretty, salad. Let the salad ‘rest’ and take on the flavours.