Goat’s cheese, date and toasted almond salad

NOW that it’s warm enough to eat outside in the evenings, one of my favourite dinners is a tapas-style meal of Mediterranean treats: fat marinated olives, for example, with some roasted vegetables, a loaf of good bread, some chorizo sausages baked in cider and maybe some prawns sizzling in garlic butter.

You always need a good salad for summer eating, too – something interesting and full of contrasting textures and flavours that will complement a rich main course. This, inspired by a delicious Spanish lunch at a restaurant in Harrogate a couple of weeks ago, is the perfect contender: bitter leaves, supporting a delicious pairing of sweet, sticky, toffee-scented dates and creamy tangy goat’s cheese, with nutty toasted almonds for crunch and a zingy pomegranate and balsamic dressing.

Beautiful to look at and unashamedly nourishing to eat, it’s a little unusual and is sure to be a talking point at your next al fresco feast.

Goat’s cheese, date and toasted almond salad

(serves 4)

Ingredients:

50g almonds

1 bag of spinach, watercress and rocket salad

150g soft goat’s cheese

8 large medjool dates

4 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp pomegranate molasses

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper

Method:

First, toast the almonds in a dry frying pan or an oven at 180C for 5-10 minutes, until golden and fragrant. Set aside.

Put the leaves on a large serving platter or plate. Crumble over the goat’s cheese. Slice the dates in half and remove the stones, then thinly slice them lengthways and scatter over the salad.

For the dressing, whisk together the oil, pomegranate molasses, balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper, then drizzle over the salad. Roughly chop the almonds and scatter over to finish.

Read more of Elly's recipes on her blog: nutmegsseven.co.uk