Veggies on the counter

It’s that time of the year when the weather is getting warmer and I start craving raw and cold salads again. This week, at the farmers’ market, I brought home lots of kohlrabi and turnips with the main intention to eat them raw (which is how I like them better anyway).

I know that a lot of people aren’t particularly excited about turnips, and even though I used to share the same opinion, I’ve been rediscovering this vegetable and absolutely loving its versatility. I’ve been enjoying thinly sliced turnips with just a dash of salt and black pepper as a light snack these days – there’s something about its light and yet slightly bitter flavour that I really love.

Anyway, this salad is pretty much like a coleslaw, with lots of crispiness and different textures. I felt I needed to balance that with a smooth dressing, and that’s how I ended up making an apricot-based one. I was really pleased with how it turned out – it’s sweet and tangy at the same time, with just a hint of cumin to make it more complex and intense.

Farmers’ Market Salad with Apricot-Cumin Dressing

Serves 4

For the salad:

220 g /5 medium sized carrots, grated

140 g /1 large kohlrabi, thinly sliced

120 g /1 large turnip, thinly sliced

200 g /1 large orange, sliced into half-moons

15 g / half a bunch of parsley, finely chopped

15 g / half a bunch of coriander, finely chopped

60 g /1/2 cup pistachios, coarsely chopped, toasted and lightly salted

For the apricot-cumin dressing:

65 g /6 dried unsulphured apricots, roughly chopped

6 Tablespoons olive oil

6 Tablespoons lemon juice

3 Tablespoons water

1 ¼ teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted and ground in a mortar and pestle

¼ teaspoon sea salt

black pepper to taste

Combine all the ingredients for the salad in a large bowl.

Put the apricots in a small bowl. Pour 1 cup of boiling water over them, cover the bowl, and let stand for at least 10 minutes, or until the apricots are very soft.

In a blender, combine the drained apricots with all the other ingredients for the dressing. Blend until you get a very smooth mixture.

Pour the dressing over the salad (you might not need all of it, use just enough to coat the vegetables), mix with a wooden spoon or with your hands and serve immediately.