Timely in its conception in my kitchen, this salad, with all the round and seasonal ingredients traditionally consumed in mass quantities over the Rosh Hashanah celebrations will certainly appear front and centre on my table this year, to be enjoyed alongside a shoulder of lamb and jewelled rice.
I know this looks like a daunting list of things to incorporate in this salad – but really there are very few ingredients, merely a collection of colourful treats on a plate. If you don’t have the time, energy or inclination or oven availability to roast the figs (they literally take 3 minutes), simply keep them raw and make a little extra dressing. You can roast the beets upto 4 days ahead, but please make sure you keep their cooking jus to add to the dressing.
It’s almost too gorgeous to eat, but once you start it will be challenging to stop yourself going back for more……
For Autumnal Salad Plate
- 4 figs (2 fresh & 2 grilled – recipe below)
- 3 roasted beetroot, if possible in a variety of colours (recipe below)
- 2 plums, also a variety if possible
- 1 red chili
- leaves picked from 4-6 sprigs of mint
- 1 small bunch of parsley, leaves removed
- a handful of toasted pistachios (optional)
- a sprinkling of pistachios (optional)
Dressing
- 1 tbsp honey
- juice of half a lemon
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- a pinch of salt
For the Roasted Beets
- 3 medium size beets in different colours
- 3 tsp sherry or red wine vinegar
- 3 tsp olive oil
- 3 pinches of salt
For Grilled Figs
- 2 figs
- 2-3 thyme sprigs
- a squeeze of honey (about 2 tsp)
- a drizzle of olive oil (about 1/2 tbsp)
- a squeeze of lemon juice
- a pinch of salt
- a pinch of Aleppo pepper
Start off by roasting the beets: Preheat oven to 190ºC. Remove the leaves if attached (save for later) and wash off any excess dirt, keeping the skin on.
Individually wrap each beetroot lightly in a double layer of foil. Before sealing, drizzle with olive oil, vinegar and a pinch of malden salt to cover.
Place them on a tray and bake in the oven for about 45 minutes. They need to be cooked but still firm, so the cooking time will depend a little on their size.
Allow to cool just until you can handle them, and while they are still warm, remove from foil and gently rub off their skins, receiving any cooking jus in the bottom of the parcels. Allow to cool completely before slicing.
Grill the figs: Quarter the figs through the root and place on a small baking tray or oven safe dish and tuck in the thyme sprigs. Drizzle with honey, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and Aleppo pepper. Place under the grill for 2-3 minutes until beginning to blister around the edges but holding their shape. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
Now get creative with your plating. I like to serve this on a flat plate or shallow dish. I cut the remaining figs, plums and roasted beets into wedges (I like the uniform but you do you) and scatter them on the plate with the grilled figs.
Slice the chili and sprinkle on top with the mint and parsley leaves.
Make the dressing either in the dish that the figs were grilled in or in a small bowl or jar, using all the jus from the figs and the beets as a base. Then add the extra honey, lemon juice, olive oil and an extra pinch of salt and stir everything together. Pour over the plate of colourful wedges and top with a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds and toasted pistachios if you like and an extra sprinkling of malden salt to finish.
This would also be delicious with some soft goats cheese, feta or burrata or of course spooned over some labeneh. And for a crunch alternative, add some croutons to the mix for an autumnal panzanella style dish.
Have you made this dish?
Let me know what you think, share your efforts and any tweaks you made to the recipe on Instagram, don’t forget to tag #BuildingFeasts or email me on info@buildingfeasts.com
