Category: Salads

August 11, 2026

Tomato Tonnato

When summer is at its hottest in Italy, it is an effort to put the oven on, the lycophene rich tomatoes are at their best and this is frankly all that is needed. You can of course set it alongside a grilled piece of protein, but it works just fine with a crust of sourdough and perhaps a crisp glass of white wine.READ MORE

Roasted Brussels sprouts and pickled carrot salad with walnuts, pumpkin seeds, flaked almonds and extra virgin olive oil

July 26, 2026

Brussel Sprouts with Pickled Carrots, Walnuts, Coriander and Citrus

This is a warm winter salad, discovered first at a friend’s house in the US and then replicated many times back in Italy. It is slightly different each time, but equally delicious. If you want to make it more satisfying, stir through some cooked farro.READ MORE

March 1, 2026

Salad of Blood Orange, Radicchio, Cavolo Nero & Walnuts

This salad first happened by accident, as often things do in our kitchen. However, it swiftly became a keeper and makes so much sense as you move from winter to spring, when blood oranges tend to be at their best. READ MORE

Winter kale and beetroot slaw with pomegranate seeds, toasted walnuts and fresh herbs, dressed with extra virgin olive oil

February 27, 2026

A Winter Slaw

Kale, dill, mint, pomegranate, beetroot, parsley, walnut and a great dressing with pomegranate molasses, some lemon and the wonderful Tenuta Arcamone from Frantoio De Carlo in Puglia. There can be no better health kick for mid winter.READ MORE

October 30, 2025

Roasted Beetroot, Citrus and Olive Salad with Horseradish

In the south of Italy, you frequently find a delicious winter salad with orange, fennel, olives, perhaps a bit of red onion or bitter leaves. This is an adaptation on that. Amazing if you can get a mix of different coloured beets because it makes this dish a total showstopper as they bleed and blend together.READ MORE

October 22, 2025

Radicchio, Walnut & Pecorino Salad

Vibrant colours and bold flavours combine in this wonderful autumnal salad. Roasted root vegetables, crisp radicchio, toasted walnuts, and pecorino are brought together with a drizzle of Fonte di Foiano 1979 extra virgin olive oil, creating a perfect balance of earthy, nutty, and slightly bitter notes.

October 9, 2025

Roasted Squash Salad with Chestnuts and Dates

Italian striped squash brings gentle sweetness and texture to this early autumn salad. Paired with crisp radishes, peppery watercress, rich Medjool dates, and toasted chestnuts, it bridges late summer freshness with fall warmth—perfect for October’s changing light.
READ MORE

September 30, 2025

Cavolo Nero Caesar Salad with Garlic Croutons

Cavolo Nero is a cold season staple here in Italy, and when it starts to show up in markets, you know autumn has arrived. Earthy, hearty, and deeply nourishing, it brings a rustic twist to the classic Caesar salad.

July 31, 2025

The Perfect Farro Salad

There are many farro salads out there, but when you get the aromatics just right and retain enough bite and combine this with a sensational monocultivar extra virgin olive oil, it becomes truly great.

July 8, 2025

Spring Lentil Salad with Asparagus, Fennel and Orange

Satisfying enough to be a complete lunch, or excellent as a side to a piece of white fish, this salad is full of goodness and bright, fresh flavours.READ MORE

June 9, 2025

Asparagus, Fennel and Pea Salad with Feta and Lemon

This salad is spring on a plate, bursting with bright, raw flavours and dressed very simply, with a strong emphasis on lemon.
The oil we used for this salad is simply called EVO and is from Frantoio Cerrosughero in Lazio. READ MORE

April 23, 2025

Green Bean and Shitake Salad with Lemon and Miso

This is a great salad as you head out of the summer when the French beans are fine and delicious, and mushrooms are readily available. I have been known to use porcini for this, but for those of you not living in rural Tuscany, shitake are the ideal choice.READ MORE

January 15, 2025

Aubergine and Tahini Salad

This salad works well in the summer as a lunch if you are entertaining because you can prepare it ahead of time and the flavours seem to improve as it waits to be brought to the table. READ MORE

January 15, 2025

Carpaccio of Fish with Citrus and Spice

Carpaccio in general terms is a dish of raw meat or fish and is typically dressed simply with some fine extra virgin olive oil and perhaps a squeeze of citrus. It is one of the finest things to enjoy on a warm day or as a starter for a great meal, but it all comes down to the quality of the ingredients. There is nowhere to hide, thanks to its simplicity.

January 15, 2025

Rice Salad with Nuts and Sour Cherries

This brilliant salad is the brain-child of the wonderful Yotam Ottolenghi who combines the bitterness of chopped almonds, rocket and parsley with the sourness of the cherries to great effect. It works as a great meal in its own right, or as a side to a more plentiful table.READ MORE

January 13, 2025

Celery Salad with Feta and Soft-boiled Egg

This is an adaptation on a wonderful recipe from Ottolenghi where Feta plays its role in bridging the gap between the sharper raw ingredients and the indulgence of the boiled egg.READ MORE

November 8, 2024

Tomato and Pomegranate Salad

This is the perfect salad for when the tomatoes still have some flavour and the pomegranates are coming in to their own. It is an autumn delight and the perfect combination of savoury, sharpness and sweetness. It works amazingly alongside simply grilled protein.READ MORE

November 8, 2024

Grated Carrot Salad with Spring Onion, Walnuts and Burrata

When the nights start to cool, the carrots become so delicious it’s lovely to find a dish that really allows them to sing. This dish has a touch of anchovy in it, you can of course leave it out, but it is so finely chopped, it disappears, so I suggest you give it a try even if you think you don’t like it!

July 29, 2024

Panzanella

Living in Tuscany, it’s always important to have a use for yesterday’s bread because it becomes like a bullet overnight due to its lack of salt. READ MORE

July 23, 2024

Getting Dressed

As we race towards full salad season and pack up our winter wardrobes, here are some of our favourite ways to dress. Even with salads, the choice of oil makes a massive difference depending on the other ingredients, which is why we always suggest you have more than one extra virgin olive oil open at a time.

February 10, 2024

Puntarelle alla Romana

A variant of chicory, this sublime vegetable is on every proper Roman menu at this time of the year. With its elongated bulb shape, light green stems and dandelion shaped leaves, it has beautiful bitter character that comes to life when dressed with the best extra virgin olive oil plus some anchovy, a little garlic, some lemon.

It has the ability to take you on a journey to Rome whenever you taste it.

November 9, 2023

Green Grain Goodness Bowl

An excellent dressing can make all the difference to ancient grains, perking up the base notes with a bold, herb-centric kick. READ MORE

September 20, 2023

Zucchini, Tomato, Olive and Mozzarella Salad

This is the perfect salad for a warm evening. READ MORE

March 6, 2023

Aubergine and Tahini Salad

Roast the aubergines in a marinade of extra virgin olive oil and pomegranate molasses until soft and a little crispy. The green tahini is made of fresh coriander and prezzemolo with a little mint and some lime. Then to serve, some pistachio and crumbled sheep or goat’s cheese.READ MORE

November 26, 2022

Citrus and Hazelnut Slaw

There is something seriously good about a crisp, refreshing salad on a cold day. It livens the tastebuds and contrasts so brilliantly with the richer flavours of the season.READ MORE

October 30, 2022

Caesar Mushroom and Tomino Salad

Should you eat raw mushrooms? No, never… except perhaps when they are Caesar’s Mushrooms (Ovuli in Italian) and your good friends, who are hugely experienced mushroom foragers, have picked them. It’s a gift fit for an emperor and one of the culinary delights of the autumn. If you are willing to risk your life in eating a raw mushroom… READ MORE

September 27, 2021

Autumnal Salad of Leeks, Fennel and Cannellini

The weather is just gradually turning here and so a warm salad is just what is needed in the middle of the day.READ MORE

September 27, 2021

Figs and Burrata Salad

As summer drifts into autumn we are in fig season for a few short weeks. This fruit makes the most wonderful combination with creamy burrata and putting this dish together takes moments.READ MORE

September 6, 2020

Zucchini. The never-ending summer story

This wonderful summer squash from the Cucurbitaceae plant family (which includes melons, marrows and cucumbers) is thought of as a vegetable, but is in fact a fruit. You find it in a range of tones, but we prefer the pale green romanesco variety with its firmer consistency and superior flavour both cooked and raw.READ MORE

April 12, 2020

Chickpeas Thoughts and Recipes

Rather like other members of the legume family, chickpeas are rich in protein and fibre. The protein aspect is good for bone, muscle and skin health and the fibre, as we are all understanding now in this moment of heightened health awareness, is good for amongst other things, your immunity.

November 23, 2016

Autumn Salads

Autumn Recipes

As the autumn peaks, and the wind and rain bring the yellow leaves down to the ground, we tend to eat more soups, casseroles, meats, to keep our bones warm. But sometimes you need something to lift up your senses and refresh your palate. READ MORE

September 1, 2016

Ceci and White Peach Salad

When white peaches, especially the flat ones called Saturnine come in to season, our family goes crazy for them. The season lasts no longer than 8 weeks so we try to use them as much as possible, also in salads.READ MORE