WATERCRESS, CITRUS AND CHEVRE SALAD

For a few more weeks, Torello are foraging watercress that grows wild at the back of their farm. At the same time there’s also an array of local citrus in the farm gate from, like orange, blood orange and ruby grapefruit . Combine the watercress’ peppery leaves with zesty citrus and creamy goat’s chevre coated in fresh herbs for a fresh and lively salad to awaken the palate.

serves 4-6

2 small oranges, plus an extra orange if needed

1 ruby grapefruit

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

¼ teaspoon sea salt

100g Main Ridge Dairy marinated chevre, or chevre

¼ cup finely chopped soft leaf herbs (use flat-leaf parsley, mint, chervil or dill)

1 bunch watercress, soft stem and leaf tips picked, washed (see tip below)

To prepare each citrus fruit, using a sharp knife, slice across the bottom and top. Sit the fruit flat on a chopping board and cut away the peel and pith, working top to bottom. Slice across-ways into thin slices. Alternatively, cut out each segment between the membrane to release the segment of flesh. Set aside citrus pieces. Squeeze all the left over pieces over a bowl to collect the juice, There should be about ¼ cup. Use the extra orange if more juice is needed. Set sliced flesh and juice aside, discard remains.

For the dressing, place the oil, citrus juice and salt in a screw-top jar. Shake well to combine and set aside.

Place chopped herbs in a small bowl. Gently split the chevre into bite size pieces then gently roll in the chopped herbs to coat well.

When ready to serve, gently toss the watercress with the citrus pieces and transfer to a serving plate, then pour over the dressing. Scatter the chevre around and straight away.

Tip: To clean and store watercress, trim base of stems. Plunge into large bowl of cold water and leave for 5 minutes the allows any dirt debris to sink to the bottom of the bowl. Rinse under running water and drain. To dry, use a salad spinner or wrap in a clean tea towel and shake to remove excess water. Line a large container in paper towel or a tea towel and place the water cress on top. Seal container and refrigerate. Watercress will keep for up to 2 to 3 days

Recipe by Fiona Hammond, Aug 2023