Beetroot, Radish and Carrot Salad with Apple & Balsamic Dressing.

 

Par cook the carrots pieces in salted water until slightly softened, but still retaining a bit of crunch in the middle.

Drain and refresh in cold water to stop the cooking process.

Place your beetroots in a pan of salted water, bring to the boil and simmer until you can slide a knife in easily. 

Drain and leave to cool before peeling.

Make the dressing with a little apple juice, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, salt and pepper and a glug of veg oil.

Arrange a few salad leaves on a plate with the carrot pieces, sliced radishes, chopped beetroot, a little red onion and dress.

Scatter with toasted crushed hazelnuts and a few torn mint and parsley leaves and serve.

Parsley Soup.

 

If you are making a veg stock from scratch for this recipe add all the stalks from the parsley to it.

If you have a premade stock remove all the stalks from a large bunch of parsley, rip up and place in the stock, bring to the boil and leave to infuse.

In a genrous knob of butter and a little veg oil soften the white part of a leak, chopped onion a couple of cloves of garlic and a small stick of celery.

Add a couple of peeled and diced potatoes and season generously with salt and white pepper. Pour over your stock (remembering to remove the parsley stalks), add a quarter of your chopped parsley leaves and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are soft, and allow the soup to cool for a while.

Bring a small pan of water to the boil and blanch the rest of the parsley for 20- 30 seconds and immediately cool in a bowl of cold water. Drain and squeeze out any excess water.

Place the cooled soup in a blender along with a squeeze of lemon juice and the ball of blanched parsley and blitz until smooth.

Return to a pan and reheat - adjust the seasoning if needed 

Serve in a bowl with bread.