Dehydrated Olives
100g black olives, pitted
Rinse the olives thoroughly and blanch in boiling water for 20 seconds. Remove from the pan and place in a colander to drain, patting dry if necessary. Place the olives in a dehydrator overnight at 63°C. Once dried, blitz in a food processor to a fine crumb and set aside at room temperature until needed.
Nasturtium Pesto
4g garlic
200g nasturtium flowers & leaves
400g canola oil
4g salt
100g parmesan
75g cashew nuts
For the nasturtium pesto combine all of the ingredients together in a blender and blitz for 3 minutes until incorporated and emulsified. Transfer to a suitable container and set aside until ready to serve.
Vanilla Vinaigrette
100g extra virgin olive oil
25g champagne vinegar (white wine vinegar will work)
3g brown sugar
½ vanilla pod, seeds scraped out
2g salt
For the vinaigrette place all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine.
Heirloom Baby Tomatoes
16 Heirloom baby tomatoes, mixed colours
salt
brown sugar
Cut the tomatoes in half and season well with salt and brown sugar. Place into a roasting tray and gently smoke in the Big Green Egg for about 12 minutes and then allow to cool. Arrange the cooled tomatoes on a tray and pour over the vinaigrette to dress.
Cucumber
1 English cucumber
1 dash of olive oil
1 lemon juice
salt
Wash the cucumbers and, leaving the skin on, slice lengthways using a peeler making long ribbons. Dress with a little bit of olive oil, lemon juice and salt to taste.
Pickled Vegetables
250g baby carrots
2 courgettes
1 cauliflower
20 mangetout
80g fresh ginger
500ml white wine vinegar
250g caster sugar
½ tsp salt
10 pink peppercorns
2 vanilla pods
Peel the baby carrots and discard the tops. Slice the courgettes into 1cm batons. Cut the cauliflower into small florets. Wash the mangetout. Peel the ginger and slice in half. Layer the vegetables into a clean, sterilized glass jar. Place a saucepan over medium heat and add the vinegar, sugar, salt, ginger and peppercorns. Add the vanilla pods with the seeds scraped out into the pan – you can use 2 teaspoons of vanilla essence if no pods are available. Boil the liquid for 10 minutes, then remove from the heat. Allow to cool slightly before pouring the liquid and spices – including the vanilla pods and seeds – into the jar and seal immediately. Leave to pickle for 4 weeks before using and refrigerate after opening.
Garnish
½ avocado, sliced and seasoned with olive oil and lemon juice
30g edamame beans, peeled, blanched and seasoned with olive oil
5g baby salad leaves
radish, shaved
To serve, divide the dressed Heirloom baby tomatoes between serving plates alongside a half avocado and scatter over the cucumber ribbons, edamame beans, baby leaves, shaved radish and drained pickled vegetables. Drizzle the nasturtium pesto over the top and garnish with edible flowers and a dusting of the dehydrated black olive powder and extra virgin olive oil.
