500g mixed baby heirloom carrots
500g dried pitted dates
50g caraway ground
500ml carrot juice
50ml champagne vinegar
4.16g agar
250ml light olive oil
1-2 tsp ground cinnamon
Juice of 2 lemons
100g mixed leaves (baby rocket, green endive, baby cos hearts)
100g Danish feta, or a good creamy smoked cheese
Manuka wood chips
100g hazlenuts
25g coriander seed
25g cumin seed
25 g sesame seeds
25g fennel seeds
Wash and trim the baby carrots reserving the leafy green stems for addition into you salad. Coat your carrots in canola oil 2Tbsp crushed garlic salt, pepper and your ground caraway.
Roast at 160 degrees for 12 minutes or until al dente.
Date paste –
For the date paste soak your dates in an equal wait of hot water for half an hour, once plump strain reserving your water blitz plumped dates slowly adding water until desired consistency is reached. Pass and season with ground cinnamon.
Carrot dressing
Bring carrot juice to the boil whisk in your agar agar once boiled and continue to whisk for two minutes on heat until agar is fully dissolved. Set in a tray in your fridge.
Once set blitz in a high powered blender until smooth. Once smooth slowly add your vinegar, oil and lemon juice. Season to taste and set aside
Dukkah
Roast hazel nuts and peel, pulse to a rough consistency.
Toast all your whole spices and pulse to a rough consistency
Toast your sesame seeds.
Fold all together and season with flaky sea salt and black pepper.
Smoked feta
Cut your feta into cubes and lay on baking paper ontop of a resting rack.In a deep roasting dish lay tin foil, a good handful of Manuka wood chips, tin foil your resting rack (metal) baking paper then feta. Cover your roasting tray with tinfoil and put on a low heat on your stove top 10- 15 minutes.
Note – If you can’t or don’t feel comfortable smoking your own feta a store bought smoked creamy cheese will suit.
The Dish
Re heat your roasted carrots through a moderate oven, toss your warm carrots with your mixed greens and a genoris dash of carrot vinaigrette, On the plate spread your date paste then put your tossed salad on top, crumble your smoked feta (or cheese ) over the top, sprinkle dukkah over the top and splash alittle bit more of your dressing over the top of your salad and around the plate.
Garnish with small nasturtium leaf, borage flower, carrot tops and marigold leaf.
--WILL HOBBY, HEAD CHEF – PRAVDA CAFÉ
