Parsley, Preserved Lemon And Caperberries

I didn't realise before making this that parsley came first in the title because - guess what? - parsley is the hero ingredient here.  So get the freshest parsley you can when making this.  Out of the garden would be best of course.  Damn those sneaky, parsley-eating possums!  Supermarket parsley it is then :=)

This is another recipe from Harvest, the massive tome by Maggie Beer.  It's heading back to the library pronto, as I am not feeling the love for this book.  It could just be me, not you, Maggie.  There are so many recipes in this book - over 350 I think - so there's something for everyone.  But I just can't get over her dislike of chillies, and spices.  Somehow she missed the huge Asian influences on Aussie cooking!  

Serves 4:

ingredients:

12 caperberries, de-stalked; 6 of them cut in half lengthwise  (I used 20 small ones)

1 cup parsley (15g./0.5 oz) - I used curly, but Maggie says flat-leafed

1 Tbs preserved lemon rind, finely sliced  see Notes

40-55 mL (1.3-2 oz) EV olive oil    see Notes

2 thick slices of a hefty bread - pane di casa, sourdough, or similar, torn into chunks (or chopped by Mr P.) - use gluten-free if desired

1 Tbs red-wine vinegar (or vinegar of your choice - I used my homemade blood-orange vinegar)

black pepper, to taste

a handful of pine nuts (optional)

Method:

So de-stalk half the caperberries, slice 'em up and throw them into a salad bowl

Add the roughly-torn (or chopped) parsley leaves (or leave them as - well, leaves)

Chuck in the finely sliced lemon rind

Heat up a grill plate and cook up the brushed-with-EVOO bread slices/now chunks till nicely scorched/golden (or do it in a frypan)

These go into the bowl, along with the rest of the EVOO, vinegar, pepper and pine nuts - Oh I forgot!  Add the other half of the caperberries, too!

Toss and leave for a few minutes so the dressing can soak in

Serve with a protein and/or another salad of your choice

Notes:

I used 2 wedges of (my homemade) lemon rind 

Maggie uses 80 mL of EVOO, but I thought that was way too much, so I used 20-25 mL for the salad, and 20-30 mL for the bread grilling

Does anyone else think flat-leafed parsley tastes like grass clippings?!  And not in a good way ... bluuurrrgghh

grill your bread

get Mr P. to chop it up into chunks

serve it with grilled halloumi if you fancy

and a sweet potato and bocconcini salad

and with halloumi

C. Sherry M.

C. Sherry M.