Ingredients:
1 ripe avocado
1 small, long red pepper
1 small courgette/zucchini
1 small fennel bulb
1 small onion
2 large cloves garlic, cut into 2 or 3 pieces
salt and black pepper
1 ripe tomato
Baby lettuce leaves
toasted sunflower seeds
2 bocconcini for decoration (optional)
For the vinaigrette:
the fruit of one ripe passion fruit*
100 mls ( about 1/2 cup) olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp honey*
1 clove garlic, smashed
a few grinds of black pepper
* Passion fruit in Venezuela are extremely tart, which is why I added the honey. There are other passion fruit, from Colombia, called maracuyá, which are sweet. If your passion fruit is sweet, you might not need the honey.
Method:
1 ripe avocado
1 small, long red pepper
1 small courgette/zucchini
1 small fennel bulb
1 small onion
2 large cloves garlic, cut into 2 or 3 pieces
salt and black pepper
1 ripe tomato
Baby lettuce leaves
toasted sunflower seeds
2 bocconcini for decoration (optional)
For the vinaigrette:
the fruit of one ripe passion fruit*
100 mls ( about 1/2 cup) olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp honey*
1 clove garlic, smashed
a few grinds of black pepper
* Passion fruit in Venezuela are extremely tart, which is why I added the honey. There are other passion fruit, from Colombia, called maracuyá, which are sweet. If your passion fruit is sweet, you might not need the honey.
Method:
- Cut the courgettes/zucchini, the pepper, the fennel and the onion into thickish slices. Drizzle with a tiny amount of olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Grill in a cast iron pan (or on the grill) adding the garlic cloves - these will add a touch of extra flavour. Grill on each side for one or two minutes, until browned. Remove from the grill, discarding the garlic, and set aside.
- To make the vinaigrette, cut the passion fruit in half, scoop out the pulp, seeds and all, and blizt in a blender. Strain the juice to eliminate the seeds (which are edible, but sometimes a little annoying).
- In a bowl, whisk together the oil, the passion fruit, the honey, salt and pepper and the garlic until an emulsion is formed. Leave for about 20 minutes so the vinaigrette is infused with the garlic. Strain for use, unless you like raw garlic.
- Arrange the lettuce leaves on a plate. Cut the avocado in half, peel and then cut into strips. Place on the lettuce leaves. Put the grilled veg around the avocado.
- cut the tomato into slices and arrange outside the grilled veg. Cut the bocconcini into 3 pieces, if you're using it, and arrange around the avocado ( adds an extra touch of colour)
- Sprinkle the sunflower seeds over the salad and add the vinaigrette.
