Following the success of his first book The Accidental Vegetarian; Simon Rimmer recently served up another helping of innovative and flavour-packed vegetarian recipes. Based on the menu at his award-winning restaurant, Greens, The Seasoned Vegetarian features internationally-inspired dishes and creative flavour combinations that will appeal to vegetarians and carnivores alike. Here’s one of his simple but delicious recipes for you to try out during National Vegetarian Week.
Pumpkin salad with Yorkshire fettle cheese
Simons says, “From the moment this dish went on the menu it has sold like hot cakes (strange comparison I know). Yorkshire fettle cheese, from Shepherd’s Purse creamery, is a great example of how brilliant our cheesemakers are. This cheese has all the characteristics of a feta, with the added oomph of a Wensleydale. Combined with sweet pumpkin, pine nuts and the rest, it makes for a good year-round salad.”
Ingredients:
300g (10oz) pumpkin, peeled and cubed
3-4 tbsp vegetable oil, for roasting
200g (7oz) Yorkshire fettle cheese, cubed
150g (5oz) pine nuts, toasted
handfuls of watercress, rocket and baby spinach
3 radishes, sliced
150g (5oz) peas, cooked
Dressing:
150ml (1/4 pint) extra virgin olive oil
juice of 2 limes
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 garlic clove, crushed
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/ Fan 180C/ Gas Mark 6. Heat the oil in a roasting tin, add the pumpkin and roast for about 30 minutes until golden and soft. Drain on kitchen paper and season well.
2. Combine the pumpkin with the rest of the salad ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Make the dressing by putting all the ingredients in a screw-top jar and shaking it up like crazy.
4. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss all of it together.
We've got four copies of The Seasoned Vegetarian to give away. If you want to impress a veggie or cut back on your weekly meat intake, just enter the competition here.
