Raspberry, Rucola and Hazelnut Summer Salad
The best hazelnuts in Italy come from Piedmont. They are proudly used in savoury and sweet courses, very often in unexpected combinations, especially for someone coming from afar.
We’ve just came back from our Italian summer holiday, stopping for a few days in the Langhe region on our way back home. In this part of the world you eat well everywhere, where even the most humble ingredients are turned into something sophisticated and elegant.
During our last dinner surrounded by vineyards and a myriad of bottles of beautiful wine, we had one of the most memorable dinners. Our choice of courses was literally embellished by all the extras, starting with an amuse bush and ending with a homemade little selection of pastries. Somewhere between the amuse bush and the starters we were served a small salad, refreshing and simply delightful. I was so taken by it that as soon as we arrived home I’ve made it four times in one week already, a sign of a good recipe to keep.
All the salads are very intuitive and you can play with the ingredients as you wish. Below you will find the way I make it, which is the closest to the flavours I remember having in Piedmont.
With a simple and fresh salad the choice of the ingredients is very important: choose the oil that is mild in flavour, the carrots should be preferably young, crunchy and sweet, raspberries ripe and bursting with flavour.
A generous portion for one- just dial it up when needed:
- a handful of delicate rocket salad leaves, washed
- a few long thin carrot strips (use a potato peeler)
- 2-3 raspberries, cut lengthways in half
- a few toasted hazelnuts, cut in half
- 1 tablespoon of mild olive oil
- 1-1.5 of a teaspoons of a raspberry vinegar
- a small pinch of salt
- a small pinch of freshly ground black pepper
In a bowl toss together the rucola and shaved carrot. Drizzle with olive oil, the raspberry vinegar and season with salt and pepper (just a small touch of the seasoning). Toss again.
Arrange the salad on a plate, dot around the raspberries and decorate with the hazelnuts.
