Festive Christmas Starter

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Apple, Bresola, Cape Town, Chefs & Cooks, Christmas, Cifton Kitchen, fennel, food and drink, Food Blogs, Food Writing, grapeseed oil, Olive oil, recipe, Starters

A tasty and visually pleasing starter to brighten the Christmas table and very easy to prepare. For vegetarians you could exchange the Bresaola for a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds and capers

Insalata Bresaola

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 fennel bulbs; rinsed and trimmed

1 granny smith apple, washed and dried, keep skin on.

100g thinly sliced Bresaola

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons water

100g natural yoghurt

4 tablespoons Grapeseed or olive oil

a gentle splash of Pernod anise or Ricard Pastis (optional)

Salt and pepper

Dill or fennel fronds to garnish

Method

In bowl, mix the lemon juice with 2 tablespoons water set aside.

Cut the fennel into thin slices. Cut the apple into thin slices, then briefly dip the apple slices in the lemon juice water to keep the pulp from darkening. Toss the apple and fennel together, season to taste with salt and pepper and place a portion on each plate. Arrange the Bresaola slices in the middle and drizzle with the dressing.

Dressing

In a bowl mix the yoghurt with oil, Pernod, salt and pepper. Set aside

Garnish

With dill or fennel fronds.

Note

Bresaola is dried salted beef available from delicatessens.

Pernod Anise and Ricard Pastis, are both anise-flavoured liqueurs and are often referred to simply as Pernod or Ricard.

What’s In Season For August

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Apple, apples, Asian greens, avocado, beetroot, broccoli, Brussels sprout, Brussels sprouts, cabbages, Carrots, cauliflower, celeriac, celery, Chefs, Chicory, cumquats, fennel, food and drink, Foodblog, Fruit, garlic, ginger, grapefruit, horseradish, Jerusalem artichoke, Jerusalem artichokes, kale, kohlrabi, leek, lemons, limes, mandarins, Nettle, Nettles, okra, olives, onions, oranges, papaya, parsnips, pineapple, potatoes, pumpkin, recipe, rhubarb, Seasonal produce, shallots, silverbeet, spinach, swede, sweet potato, turnip, Vegetable, Vegetables, witlof

It’s hard to believe that we are just a few days away from the month of August. In my garden shrubs and trees are sprouting new growth and last season’s spinach which I had not removed has regrown without much prompting and is looking healthy and lush. The nettles too are doing well in this garden.

Nettles are incredibly nutritious, they establish themselves anywhere where in soil with high fertility, on banks of river beds, near trees and within the vegetable patch. Yes they sting like mad and one needs gloves when picking, but the application of heat when cooking removes all trace of stinging hairs. Cook the nettles as you would spinach. The flavour is slightly stronger than that of spinach and is a lovely substitute to use in the classic spinach and ricotta gnocchi or for a lovely leek and nettle sauté.

When selecting fruit and vegetables, it is best as always to buy where ever possible, locally produced and what is in season to ensure the benefit of maximum flavour and nutrition from your fruit and vegetables.

Here is a guide for produce to look for in August.

Fruit:

Apples, cumquats, grapefruit, lemons, limes, mandarins, oranges, papaya, pineapple, rhubarb,…

Vegetables:

Asian greens, avocado, beetroot, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, celeriac, celery, fennel, garlic, ginger, horseradish, Jerusalem artichokes, kale, kohlrabi, leek, okra, olives, onions, parsnips, potatoes, pumpkin, shallots, silverbeet, spinach, swede, sweet potato, turnip, witlof…