3 Salads To Try Today

• Sweet potato salad with tarragon and rye
  Serves 2-3

• You’ll need:
  100g dry rye grains
  Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  4–6 sweet potatoes (depending on size)
  Olive oil
  1 bunch fresh tarragon
  1 bunch spring onions, outer layer
  removed and sliced diagonally
  200g feta cheese
  Balsamic vinegar

• Method:
  1 Soak the grains overnight in double the amount of water to allow for a more even texture throughout.

• 
  2 The next day, drain and rinse the grains. Place in a large saucepan with a good pinch of salt and boil for approximately 20–22 minutes, or until tender. If you haven’t pre-soaked the grains, cook for around 40 minutes. Drain and allow to cool completely.

• 
  3 Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F) Gas Mark 3.

• 
  4 Wash and cut the sweet potatoes into bite- sized pieces (leave the skin on), and toss with oil, salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and roast in the preheated oven, turning occasionally, for around 20 minutes or until cooked through.

• 
  5 Separate the leaves of the tarragon from the stalks (which you can discard) and place in a large serving bowl. Add the spring onions. With your fingers, lightly crumble the feta into the same bowl and set aside.

• 
  6 When the sweet potato is cooked, remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly, then add to a serving bowl. Add the cooled rye grains and fold everything together carefully so as not to break up the potatoes. Adjust the seasoning, and add more olive oil and a dash of balsamic vinegar, if needed.

• Kale, red grape, hazelnut and cheese salad
  Serves 2 as a side salad

• You’ll need:
  Small bunch of kale (about 200g)
  1–2 tbsp lemon juice
  1–2 tbsp good-quality olive oil
  Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  1 large tbsp of toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
  25 red grapes (approx)
  40g Västerbotten or Pecorino cheese shavings

• Method:
  1 Discard the stems of the kale and chop the leaves. Add the lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper to the kale and gently massage the leaves until they tenderise. This takes a few minutes and you will see the kale go a darker green colour (massaging makes the kale’s tough cellulose structure break down and wilt a bit). Taste it: if it is no longer bitter, it’s done.

• 
  2 Add the toasted hazelnuts to the salad along with the halved red grapes and Västerbotten cheese shavings. Serve immediately.

• Artichoke salad with spelt grains
  Serves 2-3 as a side salad

• You’ll need:
  150g dried spelt grains
  Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  2 x 250g cans of artichoke hearts, drained
  150g feta cheese, chopped into cubes
  ½ bunch of spring onions, sliced diagonally
  2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  4–5 tbsp flaked almonds, toasted
  Freshly squeezed lemon juice
  Olive oil, for drizzling

• Method:
  1 Soak the grains overnight in double the amount of water to allow for a more even texture throughout.

• 
  2 Drain and rinse the grains. Place in a large saucepan with a good pinch of salt and boil for approximately 22–25 minutes, or until tender but still al dente. If you haven’t pre-soaked the grains, extend the cooking time by around 20 minutes. Drain and allow to cool completely.

• 
  3 Slice the artichoke hearts into large bite-sized pieces. Place in a bowl and add the sliced spring onions, feta and parsley.

• 
  4 Fold in the spelt grains, season to taste and fold in the toasted almond flakes. Season with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice and a drizzle of good oil.

These recipes have been extracted from Bronte Aurell’s – The Scandi Kitchen cookbook by Bronte Aurell, published by Ryland Peters & Small. Photography by Peter Cassidy}