Endive, walnut, sweet onion, radish, black olives, orange and feta salad
for 6/8
This wonderful spring salad–a perfect starter to the Easter meal–is from my first cook book, Delicious Dishes for Diabetics.
Beautiful to look at, it raises the spirits and whets the appetite.
Endive! There’s a stall in Castres market that sells only these seasonal white torpedoes. They are sweeter than the industrially grown ones available all the year round.
I buy more than I need for the salad–we’ll have them slow-roasted another day.
It’s an assembly job–and fun to do…
- Slice off the base of three endive–this will make it easier to pick off the individual spear like leaves.
- Dry roast walnuts—about 5oz (a handful)– in a pan on top of the hob.
- Slice half a medium, sweet red onion as finely as possible.
- Slice a handful of radishes.
- Stone about 10 black olives and cut in half.
- Peel two juicy oranges by slicing off the top with a sharp knife and gingerly cut down through the peel top to bottom without cutting into the flesh. When you have completed the sphere–pull back the peel in each segment (very satisfying!)–and hey, presto! You have a neatly peeled orange. Now slice the orange horizontally into thick-ish pieces.
- Dice 4oz Feta cheese.
- Roughly chop a handful of parsley (optional)
Next make the vinaigrette for the salad:
- In a small screw top bottle put some freshly-grated pepper and a few pinches of salt.
- Add a tablespoon of red wine vinegar and 4 tbs olive oil.
- Shake it all about–and set aside.
- Now assemble the salad on a large platter that will show it off well (before you spoil it, by turning it all over in the vinaigrette).
This is how I arrange things:
- Define the arena by arranging spears round the bowl with the tips upward facing.
- Slice additional spears into twos or threes and scatter in the bottom of the bowl.
- Arrange the orange slices nicely over these.
- Scatter the sliced onion and radish over the orange and add the black olives.
- Scatter the feta round the bowl and finish with the walnuts and the parsley.
- Pour over the vinaigrette (after shaking it again) and present the result to the table before turning everything over–ruthlessly.
- We finished it at the lunch with several of the guests having seconds.
The rest of the menu for the
***
BIRTHDAY LUNCH
Roast leg of lamb with White Bean Gratin
Slow-roasted Tomatoes with rosemary and garlic
Roast Asparagus Spears
Freshly-made Apple, Mint and Onion Sauce
Milk Gravy
Panacotta —made by Meredith–served with mango, more orange chunks and blueberries
***
All the recipes (except the panacotta!) are in
Mediterranean Cooking for Diabetics.
One of the lunch guests, my old nemesis from Poldark days, Donald Douglas (aka Captain McNeil), decorated eggs for place-settings.
This is Meredith and me:
(Hair clippings provided by Donald’s horse)
.
Robin Ellis 
If I do all the cleanup, might I score an invite?
Meredith says–yes!
I love oranges but sometimes they’re so messy I just think the only place to eat them is in the bath! Now you’ve told us how to do it – I’ll be adding them to everything – so nice with a watercress and avocado salad too.
Sounds like you’ve tried it! It works!
Very good likeness on the eggs! Well done Donald.
What a lovely meal for Meredith! And that rascal Captain McNeil was up to the task!
Wow! Those eggs!! That’s what I call a tailored gift! A very special present! I did not know Donald was so talented. The birthday menu is also appealing! Bravo Robin. All sounds like a perfect feast for Meredith! 🙂
What an absolutely delicious(and beautiful!) celebration!
We raise a toast to Meredith for a wonderful birthday,with many more to come,all filled with health and happiness!
Thank you for sharing this with us! We feel like lucky guests indeed!
And! Oh! Those eggs are fantastic!
“CHEF”!
Ohh…the gorgeous birthday salad and brilliant egg portraits are wonderful (love the expressions and the hair…) Lovely to have a taste of sunny France on a chilly Dublin evening! A very Happy Birthday to Meredith.
Looks too beautiful to eat! Happy Birthday, Meredith!!! Sounds like you had an awesome lunch–and great company! 🙂
Love the hair!!
Happy Birthday to Meredith! Delicious menu. We like the eggs.
Love the food and what talent Donald has, such a good likeness!!
HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY MEREDITH!!!!
Oops – I read that at first as “hair clippings provided by Donald’s nose”. Wrong thankfully.
Fun Birthday,Meredith….and here’s wishing you Many Jappy Returns !
Sorry, I meant to say Many HAPPY Returns x
Are we too late for birthday wishes? We hope not!
Belated wishes from all of us, dear Meredith! 💞
And many compliments to our two favorite Captains for the fabulous brunch and the amazing eggs!!!
Hello Robin
I hope this email finds you and your better half well and happy.
Have not received any emails from your blog of late (since April) and wondered is this from your side or is this to do with something on mine that I need to re adjust ?
Many thanks
Best wishes
Shawdian Isle of Wight