CHOPPED GREEK SALAD WITH NASTURTIUM PESTO

Use the freshest and best ingredients you can get your hands on for this stunning Greek salad. Nasturtium leaves are popular in fashionable restaurants, not just because they look great but also because they pack a peppery kick that’s very similar to rocket. You can sometimes get them from farmers’ markets and veg box schemes, but they are very easy to grow – we can even manage them in the car park at The Hand and Flowers! Alternatively, use fiery, young rocket leaves instead.

INGREDIENTS

SERVES: 4

2 red peppers, halved, cored and deseeded

2 green peppers, halved, cored and deseeded

2 red onions

2 tomatoes, cored and deseeded

½ cucumber, peeled, halved and deseeded

20 black olives, pitted and sliced

2 tbsp capers

200g best-quality feta cheese, crumbled

1 garlic clove, grated

2 tbsp pine nuts

2 handfuls of nasturtium leaves (about 225g, plus extra to finish

170ml good-quality extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 banana shallot, sliced into thin rings

Flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

1: Cut the peppers, red onions, tomatoes and cucumber into 1.5cm dice and place them all in a large bowl. Add the olives and capers and mix together.

2: Using a large pestle and mortar or a food processor, crush 50g of the feta cheese with the garlic and pine nuts to a paste.

3: Gradually work in a couple of handfuls of nasturtium leaves and 140ml olive oil to make a coarse pesto – it should have some texture to it. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4: Tip the diced salad vegetables into a serving bowl. Dress with the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil and the wine vinegar, and sprinkle with some flaky sea salt.

5: Add the remaining feta to the salad and spoon on the nasturtium pesto. Scatter over the shallot rings, top with some nasturtium leaves and serve.

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