Turkish Salad

Even in mid-Winter I get to the point where I’ve had enough carbs and need something fresh and light.

12 cherry tomatoes, halved

½ cucumber, peeled

1 small  red onion, peeled

½ red pepper, halved and deseeded

½ green pepper, also halved and deseeded

2 heaped tbsp. each of roughly chopped coriander and parsley

Dressing

½ garlic clove crushed to a paste with salt

2 tbsp lemon juice

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Salt & pepper

To Serve

200g Turkish yoghurt, thinned with 1 tbsp milk

Caramelised butter (I will explain)

1 tsp Turkish chilli flakes

Flatbreads

Check out his mood when he gets home. If he’s cheery this is nice to make together as it’s mostly chopping.  You could use a gadget but this is really not hard work and it’s a great way to unwind with the boy at the end of a long day. Even he seems to appreciate the odd break for something fresh to eat.

Start with the dressing – just whisk everything together and taste. I like my dressings quite tart but check with him and come to an agreement. The olive oil should be peppery and grassy – a real flavour in its own right and not just something to let the dressing down with. Serving it in a pretty jug will help, I think.

Chop all the vegetables up fairly finely and put in a bowl. One of the Mandolin settings would do this in minutes but it’s a labour of love and a time for you to be together. Add the herbs and the dressing and toss.

To make the caramelised butter, simply heat 75g unsalted butter in a small pan until the whey separates and turns golden brown, with a nutty flavour. Remove from the heat before it burns. Voila – caramelised butter!

Spread the salad out onto a serving plate and spoon the yoghurt over the centre. Drizzle the caramelised butter on the yoghurt and sprinkle with the Turkish chilli flakes. These are dark red and fairly mild (they’re dried and then rubbed with olive oil).

Warm the flat breads. It's a simple supper but the fact that he’s helped with it will go a long way towards his acceptance of it. We can go back to warming and filling foods tomorrow.