Beetroot and Feta Salad with Pine Nuts and Balsamic

Chef : James Sommerin : The Crown at Whitebrook Rare Recipe from James Sommerin, The Crown at Whitebrook

James Sommerin, Executive Head Chef at Michelin-starred The Crown at Whitebrook, has garnered recognition in the culinary world for his ability to deconstruct and re-interpret classic dishes without ever losing the point of the meal - enjoyment of the food.

Beetroot and Feta Salad with Pine Nuts and Balsamic (serves 4)

Recipe : Beetroot and Feta Salad with Pine Nuts and Balsamic : The Crown at Whitebrook

INGREDIENTS

2 large beetroots
50 ml balsamic
50 ml olive oil
50 g feta
20 g pine nuts
Salad leaves (and viola petals for decoration, optional)

METHOD

Boil one of the beetroots until cooked, refresh under cold water and peel. Cut into one cm cubes.

Use a very sharp knife or slicer to cut the other beetroot as thinly as possible and then marinade the slices in the olive oil and balsamic. Leave for 10-15 minutes.

Crumble the feta with your fingers and mix with pine nuts. To get a better flavour from the nuts try toasting them first.

Finally mix all the ingredients together with the salad leaves. Little Gems are very good at the moment and are quite refreshing. Serve in a bowl.

This is an ideal starter for al fresco summer dining.