Citrus and cashew nut salad (with winter veg)

Working with The University of Sheffield

Season: SpringWinter

Another excellent Nigel Slater recipe from a recent edition of Observer Food Monthly. Regather box contents in February/March are absolutely made for this dish: grapefruit, orange, beetroot, cabbage, fennel, celeriac. Plus cashew nuts and a very zingy dressing. You can substitute other preferred root veg (e.g. carrot) and green cabbage for the red, or why not sprinkle on some lush microgreens from Future Greens. With these beautiful bright colours and flavours, our hardy winter staples are dressing up for Spring.

Ingredients

grapefruit 1

orange 1 large

red cabbage 250g

fennel 150g

celeriac 150g

beetroot 250g

FOR THE DRESSING:

red wine vinegar 2 tbsp

lime juice 3 tbsp

olive oil 75ml

light soy sauce 1 tbsp

ginger 35g

light muscovado sugar 3 tbsp

small hot chillies 2

roasted and salted cashews 75g, plus a few left whole to finish

mint leaves 20, finely shredded

coriander leaves 20

Method

Make the dressing: put the vinegar, lime juice, olive oil and soy in a mixing bowl. Peel the ginger and grate it finely, then add to the liquids with the sugar. Finely chop the chillies (you can remove the seeds if you like a cooler dressing) and stir in.

Crush the cashews to a coarse, nubbly powder with a pestle and mortar (or the end of a rolling pin), then add to the dressing with the shredded mint leaves and the coriander leaves, torn up a little if they are particularly large. Stir the dressing and set aside.

Remove the peel and white pith from the grapefruit and orange, saving as much juice as you can. Separate the segments with a sharp knife and add them to the dressing with any juice.

Finely shred the cabbage and fennel and add to the dressing. Peel the celeriac and beetroot, slice thinly, then cut into long, thin matchsticks. Toss with the dressing, check the seasoning and set aside for 30 minutes or more before serving.

Add the reserved whole cashews just before bringing the salad to the table.