“In winter, dried fruit is a great way to brighten up savoury dishes and provide a sweet, contrasting taste; mix it through a pilaf or add to winter salads – like this one,” says Rachel. “I like dried cranberries, blueberries, yellow sultanas and barberries (Berberis vulgaris). These are sweet and sour berries known as ‘zereshk’ in Persian and Iranian cooking, and are added to rice dishes. They have a lovely sour bite, a beautiful red colour and are full of vitamin C. Barberries are available dried from Middle Eastern stores or online; rehydrate them in hot water for 30 minutes and then rinse them well, as they are often gritty. If you can’t find them, use dried cranberries instead. “This colourful coleslaw goes really well with most meals. It adds a lovely fresh crunch to filled pittas and wraps, and also works with baked potatoes, quiches, curries or Eastern noodle or rice dishes.”
WINTER VEGETABLE COLESLAW WITH BARBERRIES SERVES 4-6 (OR 6-8 AS A SIDE)
METHOD 1 Finely shred the cabbage and Brussels sprouts by hand or using the slicer attachment of a food processor. 2 Place this into a large mixing bowl with the grated carrot, parsnip, celeriac and beetroot. 3 Finely slice the red onion and place into a small bowl of cold water, making sure it’s fully submerged. This will help to remove the strong pungency of the onion flavour, and crisp up the texture. 4 Chop the fresh herbs roughly, and add to the grated vegetables. 5 To make the dressing, squeeze the lemon or lime and mix the juice with the olive oil and red chilli, if using. Taste and add enough agave syrup to slightly sweeten. 6 Drain the onion in a sieve, then add to the other vegetables. 7 Pour the dressing over the coleslaw, and mix it through thoroughly. Season with a pinch of salt and taste. Add a little more salt, oil or lemon juice, if necessary. Finally, sprinkle over the barberries, sunflower and pumpkin seeds. Demuths Cookery School, 6 Terrace Walk, Bath BA1 1LN; 01225 427938; demuths.co.uk
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ROB WICKS
INGREDIENTS 300-400g red cabbage a few Brussels sprouts 1 medium carrot, peeled and grated 1 small parsnip, peeled and grated ¼ small celeriac, peeled and grated (or 1 stick celery, finely chopped) 1 small beetroot, peeled and grated 1 small red onion, peeled handful of parsley, large stalks removed handful of mint leaves 1 lemon (or lime) 2-3 tbsp olive oil 1 red chilli, seeded and finely diced (optional) agave or maple syrup, to taste handful of dried barberries, soaked, drained and rinsed handful of sunflower seeds, toasted handful of pumpkin seeds, toasted
TIP! THIS COLESLAW WILL KEEP FOR UP TO
THREE DAYS IN A CONTAINER IN THE FRIDGE
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