Feta and Mint Salad with a splash of Pomegranate
This recipe is perfect as a salad in its own right or as an accompanying salad. I just use the pomegranate seeds, and not the juice, for this recipe.
Serves 4-6
Preparation time 15 minutes: Cooking time about 10 minutes: croutons freeze well
Ingredients
3 thick slices white bread
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 romaine lettuce, roughly chopped
1 little gem lettuce, roughly chopped
3 good tablespoons roughly chopped fresh mint
100g (4oz) feta cheese, cut into 1 cm (1/2 inch) dice
50g (2oz) mixed pitted olives, halved
1 pomegranate, halved and with seeds removed (see Secret)
Dressing
6 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon caster sugar
Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas 7.
Remove the crusts from the bread, cut into 2.5cm (1 inch) cubes, toss in the olive oil and spread in a large roasting tin in a single layer. Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Set aside to cool, then season with salt and pepper.
Measure the ingredients for the dressing into a bowl and whisk until smooth. Mix the lettuces, mint, feta and olives together in a large salad bowl. Toss the salad in the dressing just before serving. Sprinkle over the croutons and pomegranate seeds.
To cook in the AGA Cook the croutons in a large roasting tin on the lowest set of runners in the Roasting Oven for about 10 minutes, tossing, occasionally. If your Roasting Oven is on the cool side, you may need to cook them directly on the floor.
Tip You can buy ready-made croutons, but I don’t think you can beat home-made ones. Make sure you add them after the salad has been dressed, otherwise they will go soggy.
A secret from our kitchen
The easiest way to remove the seeds from a pomegranate is to halve them. Place a sieve over a bowl. Take each pomegranate half and hit the back of the skin side with the back of a spoon. The seeds will fall straight into the sieve. Apparently in Greece pomegranates are good luck – so if you are going to dinner with Greek friends, take one as a gift.
Recipe taken from Lucy Young, Secrets from a Country Kitchen
