Summer is salad season. I mean who can bother to sit down to a piping hot plate in the summer heat!
The first salad was officially created with salad greens during the days of the Roman Empire. This dish was called herba salata. The word herba referred to greens and the word salata referred to the salad. The greens were served raw with vinegar, oil and a little salt. Over time, salad recipes have become more varied, complex and creative. The simple salad used to be merely a side dish, but in modern cuisine, salads are often the main attraction. A renewed focus on health and variety has brought many salad greens to the public’s attention. Interesting salads are simple to prepare though they are not necessarily easy to formulate. They are however nutritious and packed with flavour.
Avid food lover and accomplished knitwear designer Kate from Elka Knitwear is a big fan of salads. She has quite the repertoire of recipes and loves to experiment with new ideas. We are lucky that she has shared this luscious and tasty salad recipe with us for you to enjoy.
Dressing:
- 2 tbsp of Harissa
- Stir well with juice and the zest of 1 lemon
- 2 – 3 tbsp of olive oil and crushed garlic
- Moroccan spice mix salt and pepper.
- Salt and pepper.
- Cover and set aside.
Salad:
- Eggplant
- Moroccan Spice Mix
- Olive Oil
- Garlic for rubbing
- Red Onion
- Goat Feta Cheese
- Pomegranate
- Baby salad leaves – spinach, kale, rocket, etc
- Microgreens or sprouts for garnishing
Directions:
- Cook 2/3 of a cup of Israeli couscous in plenty of water. Drain and rinse with cool water.
- Mix cooled couscous with the dressing and set aside for the flavours to develop.
- Preheat the oven to 210C.
- Cut eggplant in half the long way and rub with garlic, Moroccan Mix and a generous amount of Olive Oil.
- With a sharp knife make cross cuts all over the eggplant flesh avoiding the skin.
- Cut red onions into wedges and add to the tray with the eggplant.
- Bake eggplant in preheated oven cut side up until well roasted and tender.
- Arrange salad leaves on a platter. Fluff up couscous mix with a fork and sprinkle it all over the leaves.
- Roughly spoon over pieces of roasted eggplant and red onions. Add some goat feta and pomegranate.
- Garnish with micro greens or sprouts.
- Can be served with extra roasted eggplant on the side.
Kate is the founder and creative director of Elka Knitwear. Elka offers bespoke and limited edition hand-crafted and machine manufactured knitwear pieces that utilize only the finest materials All New Zealand made.
Elka is a label that truly epitomises ‘quality not quantity.’ For those who dare to be original, Elka garments spark conversation, solicit adulation and will be treasured for many years to come. Elka also produces an extensive range of fun and superior quality New Zealand made socks in cotton and merino. If you want to learn more about Elka or purchase one of Kate’s stunning garments or socks, then we invite you to visit their online store.
Photos and recipe credit: Kate Mischler. You can follow Elka on Instagram and Facebook
