Grilled Summer Vegetable Salad
This recipe is a very loose guideline. Go to the farmer’s market and find some vegetables that look good to eat. Grill some, pickle some, and try some raw. Grab a bunch of herbs. As long as your dressing has olive oil and something sour (citrus or vinegar), you’re good to go.
Serves 8 as a side
INGREDIENTS
For the salad
2 pounds assorted summer squash, halved lengthwise
2 pounds spring onions, halved
1 pound snap peas, tops and tails removed
Fresh basil
For the pickled fennel
2 heads fennel, halved and thinly sliced on a mandoline
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, toasted
1 cup rice vinegar
½ cup water
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
For the dressing
1 pound apricots, halved
Pickled fennel brine
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
METHOD
Pickle the fennel. Bring the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt to the boil. Put the sliced fennel and toasted fennel seeds in a heatproof container. Pour the liquid mixture over them. The pickles will be ready after 30 minutes, but it’s best to do this step 1-2 days beforehand.
Light the grill. If using a charcoal grill, we recommend using a chimney starter.
Grill the squash and onions. Grill the vegetables until tender and lightly charred. Once they’re cool enough to handle, slice the squash into bit-sized halfmoons, and separate the onions into individual petals.
Grill the apricots. Cook until caramelized and mushy. This goes pretty quickly.
Make the dressing. Once cool, slice the apricots and add them to a large mixing bowl. Mash them. Add a healthy amount of pickle brine along with a good amount of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Whisk vigorously until emulsified.
Assemble the salad. Add the snap peas and grilled veggies to the mixing bowl with the dressing. Toss to combine. Taste for seasoning and adjust.
Serve. Top with plenty of fresh basil immediately before serving. Finish with a drizzle of good olive oil and a sprinkle of flakey salt.
FURTHER READING
