roast broccoli & freekeh salad

serves 6

It feels like it’s been a wee while ‘between drinks’ as I’ve been running around like a mad woman just lately – but finally I have a new recipe for you! I have been wanting to post a roast broccoli salad for ages now, since Henry and I enjoyed many versions of it while he was here before jetting off to Italy. I found the perfect prompt last week while  at Smith & Caughey’s Queen St store poking around the gorgeous homewares department looking for my next collab item to feature. Check out the stunning Rosenthal Junto stoneware plate in the pic above, in a beautiful rich, matt coppery black which seems to change colour depending on the way the light catches it. Obviously in my job I am always on the lookout for prop plates to shoot food on which will bring the recipes to life, but the same is true for serving guests at dinner parties. Sometimes I find coloured plates distracting, but not these. They are both rich and subtle, showcasing the food rather than dominating it – just bloody stunning really, and an easy to way to go from every-night dinner to dinner-party-fancy! To check out the full range pop in here and while you’re about it I would totally recommend the Riedel O wine glassware – I use tumblers like this all the time, not just for wine, but for serving Negronis or other cocktails (like gin and tonics garnished with lemon slices, and herbs) in a modern way. They’re also the perfect vessel for a sophisticated moussey dessert if you fill them about a third of the way, then top with beautiful fresh or roasted fruit. The glasses are grape varietal specific in their design, pictured is the Cabernet/Merlot style, so if you are using them for their designed purpose you will be optimising the bouquet and flavour of your favourite drop – excellent!

Meanwhile the roasty broccoli salad is the perfect winter side – with the pleasing texture of nubbly freekeh, earthy cumin-seed-roasted brassicas (you could add in cauliflower here too if you felt inclined), some fresh greens, little surprise pops of sweetness from currants, salty feta and crunchy pumpkin seeds drizzled in an addictive dressing of lemon, Greek yoghurt and tahini. If you come here often you’ll know I love it when food that looks and tastes so good is also good for you – bonus points.

Aaaand in other news – I had my darling nephew Rupert staying last week while my sister and her hubby were sunning themselves in Fiji. Poor old Rue had a chest infection for most of the time so was being fussed over by his aunty in typical fashion (I make him sound like a toddler, but he’s almost 18). Meanwhile Henry had an amazing time with his first wwoof family in Ostunia, less of an amazing time in Palermo with the second hosts, (long story involving tantrum performing children and stressful family dynamics), and is now filling in time (drinking Negronis and lying on the beach which sounds pretty damned perfect to me) before heading to Naples. Poor old Hoob has a lurgy now too, and tells me it is basically snowing in Welly (well on the hills any way) – which of course makes me want to rush down-country, laden with thermoses full of vegetable soup and a suitcase full of hand-knitted jumpers…but actually I have a bit of a lurgy myself! Last Saturday night I had a fab time out at Cottos (in Ponsonby) for dinner with great friends, but since then have succumbed to a rotten energy-sapping cold which has me longing for a hot bath and bed at midday…ah well I suspect some medicinal whisky may be on the cards tonight…