A crunchy combination of colourful fresh vegetables. British chicory is available from mid-April to mid-November. It has a distinctive, bitter flavour and comes as tightly packed heads of white leaves, with yellow tips. Store it in the salad drawer of the fridge, where it will keep well for up to one week.
Serves 4 - 6
An attractively arranged dish, that can be served either alone, for a light lunch or supper, or as a main course accompaniment.
1 eating apple, cored and chopped
1 head of celery, sliced
1 cooked beetroot, peeled and sliced
2 heads of chicory, sliced
1 punnet of mustard and cress, trimmed
2.5 ml (1/2 tsp) prepared English mustard
2.5 ml (1/2 tsp) sugar
60 ml (4 tbsp) fresh single cream
10 ml (2 tsp) white wine vinegar
salt and pepper
3 eggs, hard-boiled and cut into wedges
1. Lightly mix the apple, celery, beetroot and chicory together with the cress in a large salad bowl.
2. To make the dressing, whisk the mustard, sugar, cream and vinegar together. Season to taste. Pour over the salad and toss together so that everything is coated in the dressing. Add the eggs, then serve at once.
