Starter – Page 31 – Myfrenchkitchen

I’ve been treated to many delicious meals during our visit in SA, of which this pear salad is one. My good friend Colette, whipped this up one hot afternoon after coming back from our “hunt for all things old”.

Colette’s pear salad

2 firm pears
mixed salad leaves
handful of peppery rocket leaves
walnuts
parmesan cheese
butter
brown sugar
white balsamic vinegar
lemon juice

Wash and cut the pears into eight parts.
Heat some butter with a spoonful of sugar in a pan, add the pears and sauté over high heat until nicely caramelized.
Spoon into a dish and leave aside. Add the walnuts to the same pan and brown quickly over high heat. Set aside
Deglaze the pan with some white balsamic vinegar, lemon juice and a pinch of salt.
Arrange the salad leaves on 2 plates, spoon the hot pears on the salad and sprinkle the walnuts. Spoon the deglazed pansauce over the salad and finish off with some shaved parmesan cheese, a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of pepper.
For a more substantial meal: Add some crisp fried parma ham/bacon, or goats cheese, or some flaked white fish to the salad.

Serves two

Finish off this late afternoon meal, much later, with tea and a freshly baked cupcake that you’ve bought on your way home at the sweet deli just around the corner.

Few people like beetroot. I was one of them, until I started playing around with beetroot….roasting them, making a creamy soup, combining them with different flavours, of which mint and apple and pear are my favourite.

I made them into a terrine here, combined with mint and red onion and served with a minty lemon zest yogurt…which my judging panel all seemed to enjoy. I hope you do too.

Beetroot terrine

4 large beetroots, cooked and skin peeled off
1 small red onion
a handful of mint leaves
5 gelatin leaves
45 ml white wine vinegar
45 ml white balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon of honey
45 ml water
salt and pepper
Yogurt sauce: a cup of natural yogurt
chopped mint leaves
lemon juice
zest of a lemon

Line a terrine pot with baking paper.
Chop the onion and mint leaves finely.
Cut the beetroot into small cubes or thin rounds. Layer some beetroot at the bottom of the terrine. Follow with a layer of chopped onion and then a generous layer of chopped mint. Repeat and finish with a layer of beetroot.
Mix the vinegars, the water, teaspoon of honey and salt and pepper in a small bowl and heat together, until the honey is dissolved.
Soften the gelatin leaves in a bowl with cold water, completely covered. Once soft, squeeze the excess water from the leaves and add to the warm vinegar/water sauce. Stir until completely dissolved. Season with salt and pepper.
Pour the warm, runny gelatin over the terrine until covered. Press slightly down, cover and refrigerate until set, at least 6 hours, but preferably overnight or longer for a better flavour.
Mix all the ingredients for the yogurt sauce and leave to infuse.
Serve a fairly thick slice of terrine with some drizzled sauce, alongside a green salad for an interesting starter and decorate with some mint leaves and fresh pepper.