three summer salads with feta





What's not to love about summer and alfresco dining... crisp fresh ingredients tossed together with crumbs of feta, dressed with fresh lemon and olive oil, served and enjoyed outdoors - this for me is summer on a plate.  These three ideas are all extremely simple to prepare and very pretty to eat.  As they all use a hint of feta, I wouldn't necessarily serve them together but rather mix and match them to different meals or BBQ's. 

 

I couldn't resist dressing the table with a few hand picked herbal blooms straight from the garden, a little bouquet of Lavender, Chamomile, and Pea shoots add a delicate touch to your table.

 

 

Roasted sweet potato, beetroot and feta salad

 

• Serves 2/4
• 2 large sweet potatoes, sliced or cubed
• 5 medium sized roasted beetroots
• 1/2 slab of feta
• lettuce leaves

Method:

 

1) Place sweet potatoes in a roasting dish, drizzle with olive oil and roast in a preheated oven of 180 degrees for 20 minutes or until crispy but still soft.  If your beetroots are fresh, cover each one with foil and place in the oven together with the sweet potatoes but leave in for at least an hour till soft, remove from foil and peel the skin off.  Alternatively use pre-packed already cooked beets.

 

2) Toss all together with crumbed feta, place on the lettuce leaves and drizzle with olive oil and little balsamic vinegar.

 

 

Courgette, mint, chilli and feta salad

• Serves 2/4
• 3 raw courgettes, peeled length ways with a peeler
• 1/2 medium heat red chilli, finely chopped
• 1/4 slab of feta, crumbed
• few sprigs of mint

Method:

 

1) Toss all together in a bowl and dress with olive oil and fresh lemon juice.  Note this is best when the courgettes have been marinated in the dressing for at least half an hour, they go all soft but still maintain a slight crunch.

Rosemary roasted butternut and feta salad

• Serves 2/4
• 1 butternut, peeled and sliced into chunks
• few sprigs of rosemary
• 1/2 slab of feta, crumbed
• 1 tsp chicken spice

Method:

 

1) Sprinkle the chicken spice over the butternut together with the sprigs of fresh rosemary, roast in preheated oven of 180 degrees for 20 mins.

 

2) Toss together with the feta and dress with olive oil.