We are having Aubergine Tortino for lunch.
Grilled aubergine slices baked in a tomato sauce, parmesan cheese and egg base.
A savory cake.
A small salad would cut the richness–but alas, there is no lettuce in the fridge.
However there is an overload of parsley.
I bought a ridiculous amount last Saturday anticipating making lots of green sauce for the chicken at the Independence Day lunch party. It’s still fresh in the fridge. I have a eureka moment…!
Parsley Salad!
Check the Internet for hints–but the Internet is down–as it often is in rural France.
Check my cookbook library and–BINGO! Riverford Farm’s second cookbook delivers.
Here’s my version:
In a pretty bowl mix:
- 50gms flat leaf parsley–roughly chopped (i.e. left a bit leafy)
- 50gms red onion–chopped finely
- 6 anchovy fillets–roughly chopped
- 2 tbs capers–left whole
- 1 tomato–skinned, seeded and chopped
For the vinaigrette:
- 1 tbs red wine vinegar,
- 4tbs olive oil
- a pinch of black pepper
- (no salt–as I’m using the anchovies, which are already salty; try feta if you don’t like anchovies)
Just before you eat:
With two forks and a light hand mix the contents of the bowl together.
The aim is to keep the delicate salad from getting soggy.
At the last moment add three spoonfuls of the vinaigrette to the bowl and again lightly fluff up the contents of the salad.
(Should you need more dressing, you have extra to hand.)
Robin Ellis 
Yum! More refreshing than a tabbouleh salad!
Dear Sir:
Wonderful post. I love the images. Parsley Improv…
Here is just a thought for your readers, re salad improvs: I use broccoli stalks. My wife throws them out! Anyway, I cook, peel, dice, and store in a wine vinaigrette. They are wonderful added to salad, a nice crunch.
All the best
I go “yuck” on the anchovies but my sister informs me that European anchovies are quite pleasant as opposed to the tinned, heavily salted little pieces of fishy torture we have here in Canada.
Anchovies in salt must be soaked briefly before being wiped free of their preserving salt.
Beautiful!
Oh dear… this would be lovely if I liked raw onion, anchovies and capers… love the Aubergine dish though – thankfully we have lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber sugar snap peas and basil in the garden, so all is not lost!
Thanks Robin. That looks really delicious and fresh! We’re going to try it tonight with chilli chicken. 😀 Looks like Meredith and you are enjoying the summer. Best wishes, Heidi x
Absolutely delicious Robin….the perfect accompaniment to the aubergine dish, which I’ve been making often this summer (also delicious at room temperature the next day for breakfast, if you’re strange as I am!!) Have you ever been to Riverford Farm by the way? It’s an incredible place, and you would both love the Field Kitchen, where everyone sits on long communal tables and shares the wonderful food cooked from produce in the surrounding fields. Very special. Happy Sunday from us both to you both x
Hi Rachel,
Meaning to write to you and thank you again for the lovely little book which I am using often. Did the salmon with green peppercorns last night. Not an unqualified success–I need to reduce the sauce more at the end. The anchovy dressing on sucrine lettuce is sublime.
We have been to the Field Kitchen and enjoyed it very much–in spite of a feeling of being corralled a little!
Love to you both too.
That aubergine dish looks divine but probably not too good for weight loss! Love the idea of the parsley salad too, (but definitely with anchovies for us! Feta would do nicely!)
Risk it!
Haven’t tried this recipe posted above but we never get tired of this eggplant recipe from Robin. Making a batch right now…yummy!
https://robin-ellis.net/2012/09/01/moutabal-baba-ganoush-lebanese-aubergine-and-tahini-puree/