Cherries & cheese, peaches & prosciutto, grapes grace the Caesar salad

Ottolenghi made me do it

‘Extra Nibbles’ is the second-Sunday-of-the-month newsletter where I share reflections, recommendations, travel notes, fridge raids - whatever’s been grazing my mind and tastebuds that month. Each one comes with a recipe - loosely held together by taste, memory or whatever feels good right now.

Not a fruit salad, a salad with fruit

Kiwi slices, underripe melon balls and overly sweet orange juice. Ahh. The taste of childhood, summer fairs and hotel buffets. Whilst these fruit salads have their nostalgic charm, I’ve shifted more towards fruits in savoury situations.

It’s less a salad, more a formula. But we’ll come onto that juiciness later.

For now, imagine honey’d apricots with salty halloumi and fresh mint. Imagine slightly tart cherries with creamy mozzarella, refreshing cucumber and pickled shallots. Imagine juicy roasted grapes with crispy chickpeas and lashings of Caesar dressing. Eh…?

Ottolenghi made me do it

I discovered the roasted grape Caesar salad only last week. I was easily convinced, knowing that I’m a sucker for sweet and salty combinations. And if I’m going to trust anyone to make grapes in a Caesar work, it’s Yotam Ottolenghi.

Chickpeas get roasted in za’atar and olive oil until super crisp (the new crouton). Grapes get roasted until near-to-bursting. Kale and crunchy cos lettuce get massaged in lemon juice. It all gets generously coated and tossed with creamy tahini, umami-rich, Caesar-style dressing.

It’s one we made in the Bold Bean kitchen last week, swapping in black chickpeas for the usual kind. Their smaller size translates to a more evenly golden roast with extra crispy edges. But either will work wonders!

Greek mezze, minus the flight

I’ve seen everyone’s Greek getaways roll in - carousel “dumps” of glistening Greek salads, and the family Whatsapp group flooded through with seafood, tzatziki mountains and stacks of koftes (I, sadly, stayed put).

So I brought a little slice of Greece to my own kitchen using some of Odsyea’s gorgeous Greek antipasti/mezze bits. Exactly what you need when the energy is melting as quick as ice cream.

Chunky slices of proper good halloumi, sprinkled in the pan with dried mint & oregano. Stuffed vine leaves, tzatziki, and a watermelon, cucumber and mint salad. Dinner feels good when all it takes is opening the fridge and spooning from jars of antipasti bliss.

“Did you put suncream on?”

Yes Mum, I did.

Every day!

Whilst this newsletter is mostly food-first, I do like to drop in a life recommendation when it fits. This is one of them: La Roche-Posay Anthelios SPF 50. Lightweight, non-greasy, doesn’t leave you looking like a ghost. The perfect SPF for your face. I swear by it. (it’s also on offer on that link - not sponsored!)

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The fruit-in-salad formula

See it as a balancing act.

Sweetness - the fruit

Fat & salt - cheese, cured meats, nuts, seeds

Freshness - herbs, leaves, raw crunch

Sharpness - lemons, vinaigrette’s, pickly bits

And so, who goes with who?

6 ways to “fruity salad”

Peaches

Flavour profile: Juicy, floral, mellow - grilling brings out more of a caramel-like flavour

Fats that complement: Mozzarella or burrata for that creaminess, prosciutto or halloumi for the salty contrast

Herbs/leaves: Basil or cucumber, or grilled radicchio for a more bitter contrast

Acidic bit: A light balsamic and olive oil vinaigrette, or lemon juice

Grilled peaches, mozzarella, prosciutto, basil, balsamic vinaigrette