Edited 1.jpg — Sweet Craving?

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This is not just a meal, this is a vegetable feast.

Fabulous Autumn or Winter salad, hearty, full of real food and LOTS of garlic to keep the vampires away.

If you have a sweet tooth, this salad is for you. If you cook the vegetables until they're caramelised, you will get the sweet, yet slightly nutty flavour into your salad. It's like the crunchy top of the sweet caramel but in a vegetable salad.

Guide

This makes a HUGE salad. If you don’t have any friends to share it with, perhaps you can have it for lunch the next day or reduce the quantity of each vegetable and of course the dressing amounts. If you are not vegan or vegetarian you could also add your favorite protein.

~ 1 x golden beetroot

~ 1 x eggplant

~ 1 x celeriac

~ 1/2 x butternut pumpkin

~ 1 x white sweet potato

~ 1 x orange sweet potato

~ 1 x red capcicum

~ 100g black rice

~ 1x garlic (2 bulbs for the dressing)

~ Drizzle of oil

Topping

~ 1/2 cup celery leaves (you could use parsley if your celeriac has the top cut off)

~ 1/2 cup hazelnuts

~ 8 sage leaves

~ 6 dates cut in half

~ Lemon zest

Dressing

(Think 'hommus without the chickpea')

~ 60 ml of lemon juice

~ 2 tbsp of oil of your liking

~ 1 tbsp of tahini

~ 2 tbsp of water (you may need to adjust slightly and add a little more)

~ 2 bulbs of roasted garlic

Preparation

~ Turn the oven onto 180c (I always find that this is a very varied statement so use your eyes and nose to judge when something is ready, as all ovens are different)

~ Cut all the vegetables, except the capsicum into even cubes as close as possible to 3cm x 3cm x 3cm. Place all in a bowl, then add olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix (use your hands) and ensure that all the veggies are covered. If you are watching you fat intake, take the eggplants aside and only oil the eggplants. Ensure they are coated otherwise you will not get the smooth creamy roasted eggplant texture.

~ Deseed and cut the capcicum into 3cm x 3cm pieces.

~ Cut the garlic vertically through the centre so you can see a cross section of the garlic bulbs. Place garlic in a piece of foil and drizzle with oil.

~ Place the veggies (except capcicum) in a lined baking tray. Put the garlic on the side of the tray in the foil.

~ Bake for 10 min, top with the capcicum and then bake for another 10 min or so. If the veggies are not soft bake until soft but not mushy.

Prepare topping

~ For topping roughly chop hazelnuts and dates. Put sage leaves on an oven tray and bake for 5 min or so till crispy. Zest lemon before using it for dressing Set aside.

~ Once the vegetables are cooked take 2 bulbs of garlic aside for the dressing. To make the dressing, combine all ingredients in a jar and shake or food processor and whiz until all incorporated. You may need to add a little more water. The dressing needs to be runny and not thick. Season to taste.

~ Place roasted veggies in bowl and toss with dressing. Spoon onto serving tray if you are feasting on them and sprinkle topping ingredients.

Enjoy your sweet fix - with vegetables.

Words By

Anita La Forgia

Life learner, multipotentialite, lifestyle elevator and creator

A treechanger who cooks to elevate life. Anita is passionate foodie using local, quality and seasonal ingredients. Living in the Macedon Ranges in Victoria she frequents the local farmers markets each week, with her beloved luggy. Her grandparents instilled the life skills of sustainable living, before sustainable living was a buzz word. She grew up in a restaurant and completing her International degree at César Ritz colleges in Switzerland, the heart land of hospitality, food and service.

Feature image: Levata

Super sweet vegetable salad ~ Meal