Fig and Pickled Date Salad

Ingredients

Salad

2 red onions
6 fresh figs
200g wild rocket
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted and skins removed.
1 tsp pomegranate molasses (available from Middle Eastern grocers)
Juice of 1 lemon
50ml olive oil
100g good quality goats curd
1/4 cup pickled dates

Pickled dates

75g sumac, soaked in 450ml of water overnight
250g tamarind, (broken into small pieces) soaked in 450ml water over night
50ml lemon juice
500g dates, stone removed and cut into eighths
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Method

Pickled dates

Strain sumac and tamarind through fine strainers, and discard solids.

Put in a pot with lemon juice and bring to the boil. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a slight simmer. Pour into jars, cool, seal and leave to stand one week before using.

Salad

Peel onions and cut into small wedges. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper then drizzle with olive oil and roast in the oven at 350 degrees F. Cook for approx 20 mins or until tender. Onions should be soft but not too coloured.

Make vinaigrette using Pomegranate molasses, lemon juice and olive oil. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Cut the figs into wedges. Combine vinaigrette and pickled dates to form a soft paste. When onions are cool, toss together with the vinaigrette and date mix.

Gently stir through the wild rocket, walnuts and figs.

Finish the salad with small spoons of goat’s curd. Serve immediately.