Apple Star Salad
Updated: Oct 17, 2022
Enjoy the freshness of spring with some star ingredients from the Snowys!
I love to make salads with homegrown produce. In spring, lettuce is at its best but in a chilly season like this year, there is not much other than herbs and leafy greens that I can use. I was wondering one day what to add as a “crunch” to top the lettuce of my salad bowl… All I had at hand as local and fresh were my favourite Batlow apples, the brilliant Greenstars. This variety is so crisp and juicy, full of vitamin C and on top of that, it’s non-browning after cutting, working perfectly on a salad (and food photography!). Apples are harvested in autumn but are well preserved in cool storage, keeping them fresh and available all year long. For another crunchy, nutritious and local addition, I added roasted hazelnuts, why not! And for a final touch of colour, I went into the yard to pick some borage edible flowers which made the flash of this “star” salad recipe. Borage is a beneficial plant for the veggie garden, attracting bees, repelling pests, and self-seeding with edible leaves and flowers. The blue flowers are star-shaped and can also make a stunning finish to some desserts and cocktails. For this presentation, I created an ice cider vinaigrette. Ice cider is a sweet cider made from frozen apples. A speciality of Québec province. Australia’s local cideries also produce them with frozen apple juice. Bon appétit Snowy foodies!
Some stars growing in the Snowys • Photography © Bottle and Brush Studio 2018-21
LOCAL PRODUCE FEATURES: Greenstar apples are grown and available at Mouats Farm. You can also find them at Local at Learmont’s and Nest-Cinema-Café-Books. Hazelnuts are grown in Batlow by Happy Wombat Hazelnuts and are available at various local food retailers and visitor centres. Crafty Ciders produces ice ciders, available in the Batlow region.
RECIPE
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