Recipe: warm salad of grilled leeks, fennel and romanesco

By Jane Baxter of Riverford Organic Farms

Serves 4–6

* 3 leeks
* 1 fennel bulb
* 1 head romanesco, separated into florets
* 2 tbsp olive oil

For the dressing:
* juice of 1 lemon
* 2 tsp caster sugar
* 1 tbsp white wine
* 1 tbsp good quality white wine vinegar
* 1 garlic clove, crushed
* Pinch of fennel seeds, crushed
* Pinch of ground allspice
* 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more to drizzle
* Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 1 tsp chopped tarragon

1 Preheat the oven to 180C (Gas 4). Heat all the dressing ingredients except the tarragon together in a large pan and leave to cool and infuse.

2 Wash the leeks and blanch them in boiling water for five minutes; drain, then split them in half lengthways. Trim the fennel and cut into very thin slices.

3 Grill the leeks on a griddle pan until slightly charred, then cut into 2.5–5cm pieces. Grill the fennel until wilted and add to the dressing with the leeks.

4 Toss the romanesco in the olive oil, season and roast in the oven for 15–20 minutes, until just cooked through and slightly brown. Add to the dressing.

5 Toss the vegetables together, season well, drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with the tarragon.

This recipe is from Everyday and Sunday – Recipes from Riverford Farm by Jane Baxter and Guy Watson.

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