Pigeon Cottage Kitchen

This is a really lovely summer salad that can stand as a lunch dish by itself or as part of a cold summer buffet with roast chicken, sausages or lamb. Every now and again, I like to introduce an ingredient you might not have used before. Dear readers, I give you cauliflower florets pickled in a spicy ginger, turmeric and chilli vinegar. I used the Garners brand; it’s a Baxters brand and I love their pickled red cabbage, pickled onions and shallots. On their website they say they made gin pickled gherkins but I’ve yet to find those little rascals in a shop. I bought my jar of cauliflower pickle in Waitrose but M&S have a version and you could of course *make your own as it’s very easy. The salad has a sweet, hot and salty dressing mixed with the crunch of cucumber and cauliflower and the nuttiness of bulgur wheat. Try it, it’s absolutely delicious.

Serves 6

• 2 large wood roasted red peppers from a jar, chopped into small bite-sized pieces (there are several brands in most supermarkets including Cypressa, Karyatis or Odysea)
• 1/3rd of a large cucumber, deseeded and cut into small chunks
• 1 tablespoon of harissa (I use Belazu)
• 2 generous handfuls of chopped fresh coriander
• 2 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp dried cumin
• 10 cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 10 black or green pitted olives, finely chopped
• 3 heaped tbsps bulgur wheat
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• About 8 pickled cauliflower florets (Garners), chopped into small bite-sized pieces
• Maldon salt and black pepper
• Juice and zest of a lemon

To make…

• First, prepare the bulgur wheat according to the packet instructions. It usually needs to be soaked in a bowl with boiling water and a pinch of salt and then set aside to soften and absorb the water. After about 30 to 40 minutes check if it feels soft but with a little bit of bite left. Drain any excess water off using a fine mesh sieve.
• While the bulgur wheat is chatting away to itself, make the dressing in a large mixing bowl. Mix the lemon juice and zest, olive oil, cumin, a good pinch of salt and black pepper and the harissa together.
• Prepare the chopped peppers, olives, tomatoes, cucumber, shallot and pickled cauliflower and add then to the dressing along with the chopped coriander.
• Once the bulgur wheat is ready and thoroughly drained, mix it with the rest of the salad ingredients. Have a taste. Adjust the amount of salt, harissa and oil to the balance you like if you think it needs it.

*I like this pickled cauliflower recipe from Craving Something Healthy.

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