Winter Beetroot & Pear Salad

We recently partnered with organic vegetable gardener and cook Anna Greenland to develop a series of seasonal recipes, using locally-sourced ingredients to connect us with nature and place. The descendant of a long line of gardeners, Anna spent three years running double Michelin starred chef Raymond Blanc’s vegetable garden at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, and is now his horticultural consultant. For over a decade she has grown the highest quality organic food for star chefs as well as creating the vegetable, fruit and herb gardens at Soho Farmhouse from scratch as Head Gardener. She is now turning her own patch of land in Suffolk into a productive market garden and beautiful potager. From here she cooks fresh, seasonal food and creates herbal preparations to support her wellbeing. Anna is on a crusade to engage more people with ‘grow your own’ and shares her passion for herbs, organic growing and cooking through classes, collaborations and social media. Here, Anna shares her recipe for a hearty winter salad combining earthy beetroot, sweet pears and foraged wild greens with creamy labneh and locally-grown naked oats. "Winter salads come into their own at this time of year," writes Anna, "bringing a freshness to lift you out of the darker days."

This salad is a hearty affair: earthy beetroots are bolstered by naked oats – they're the UK-grown answer to brown rice, making them a sustainable choice. They get their name from the way the hull falls away, leaving the whole oat grain intact. They're quick to cook, creamy and absolutely delicious. Now is the time to harvest the last of beets, all the sweeter for a touch of cold weather. Seek out a mix of varieties from farmers markets, or better still, grow your own next year. For a winning trilogy try ‘Detroit Red’, ‘Burpee’s Golden’ and ‘Chioggia’ (with its candy pink and white stripes). All have a slightly different flavour profile and they'll bring joyful colours and textures to your plate. Winter salads bring the freshness we may crave as the nights draw in. Asian greens like mustard and mizuna, along with land cress, claytonia and lamb’s lettuce are all a welcome sight. Dill grows well in the cooler months, less inclined to run to seed than on warmer days and makes a happy companion with beetroot when mixed into the labneh. My nasturtiums (under cover of the greenhouse) continue to provide peppery salad leaves, and cheerful calendula blooms will keep flowering until the true bite of winter arrives. You can also forage wild salad greens before the heavy frosts. The small feathery fronds of yarrow, oxalis, salad burnet and chickweed are still giving in my garden, along with the edible flowers of musk mallow. We often overlook the so called ‘weeds’ in our lawns and hedgerows but many provide nutritious, tasty offerings, support wildlife and have important edible and medicinal roles to play. In this salad, yarrow's bitterness balances the sweetness of the beetroot and pear, while oxalis adds a sherbety hint of lemon. The nutty, cucumber flavour of salad burnet is welcome in small does, and chickweed adds lush, grassy leaves.

Labneh – a creamy, soft cheese - is quick to make yourself and pairs wonderfully with the beetroot (although this salad would work equally well with any other roasted root vegetables such as carrots, squash, parsnips, celeriac and Jerusalem artichoke, too). Pears, like apples, have a rich history in the UK. Sadly, we only see a handful of the varieties that were enjoyed by our ancestors, which makes them all the more precious. A pear tree is a wonderful addition to any garden, providing a habitat for for a range of insects and birds and bursting into with the most glorious blossom in spring. Allow this colourful salad, with fresh winter leaves and herbs, to lift you out of the darker days of winter and give you a nutritional boost.

Beetroot & Pear Salad with Labneh, Naked Oats, Winter Leaves and Herbs

Serves 4 For the salad: 5 medium to large beetroot 2 large pears (not overripe) A few big handfuls of winter salad leaves Edible flowers for garnish (I used musk mallow and calendula flowers, violas are also a option in season.) 300g Naked Oats (I buy mine from Hodmedod's) Handful of pumpkin seeds 1 knob of butter (or vegan butter) Olive oil For the Labneh: 500ml natural plain yoghurt ½ tsp salt Chilli Zest from ½ lemon 1 bunch of dill For the dressing: 3 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard 1 tsp honey Squeeze of lemon Sea salt flakes

Method

First make the labneh. Line a sieve with a piece of clean muslin and place it over a bowl. Mix the yoghurt with the salt in another bowl, then spoon this into the sieve and gather up the muslin to form a rough sack. Leave in the fridge for eight hours or overnight. The whey will drain out of the yogurt, leaving behind the creamy, thick labneh. Once ready, remove the liquid and store in fridge until needed. Next, cook the beetroot. Remove the leaves and scrub clean, then boil with their skins on for (45 – 50 minutes for large beets and 30 - 40 for smaller ones). Drain and allow to cool. This can be done the day before if needed. When ready to use, remove the skins and cut into wedges. At the same time, cook the naked oats. Rinse, bring to the boil and simmer for 35-45 minutes until tender. Again, these can be cooked in advance and kept in the fridge in an airtight container until needed. Toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry pan over a medium heat until they just start to colour and pop. Mix all the dressing ingredients together and check seasoning. Remove the labneh from the fridge, add a good pinch of chilli flakes, the lemon zest and chopped dill, and mix. When all other ingredients are assembled, prepare the pears. Slice each pear into quarters and remove the cores. Then cut each quarter in half again so that you have eight pieces. Heat a tablespoon of oil with the butter and let it bubble. Add the pear slices and fry gently on each side until they colour slightly. Remove from pan and allow to cool while you plate up your salad. To serve, spread the labneh in a layer on the bottom of a large, shallow bowl. In a separate bowl, gently mix the oats with the beetroot and leaves (reserving the prettiest leaves and flowers for garnishing) and spoon this on top of the labneh. Tuck the pears in, and spoon the over the dressing over the beetroot mix. Finish with the toasted pumpkin seeds and garnish with the reserved leaves and edible flowers.

Products: Lotta Bowl, Utility Board & Leather Handle, Dine Bread/Cake Plates, Utility Bowl Recipe by Anna Greenland