Eating seasonally is one of the healthier habits to balance our natural rhythms, help sustainability and improve our overall nutrition.
When we eat foods that are in season we increase our energy levels and avoid introducing chemicals in our system. Produce forced to grow when it’s not its natural time to grow will contains more chemicals and/or will be imported, which has a considerable negative environmental impact.
This delicious seasonal winter salad is packed with vitamins and probiotics that will help your immune system throughout the cold months. Chicory is a great source of insulin, manganese and B6, great for brain health; walnuts are a super plant source of Omega 3s and fantastic for gut health, while pears are a powerhouse fruit, packing fibre, vitamins and beneficial plant compounds.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 shallot
250g radicchio (red chicory)
1 tbsp Olive oil
2 Williams pears
180g Gorgonzola (can be substituted with Blue Cheese/Stilton/any strong cheese of choice)
8-10 walnuts
Salt & Pepper to taste
Salt
For the dressing
1 tbsp Dijon or French mustard
2-3 tbsp Olive oil
2tbsp Lemon Juice
1 tbsp Honey
Instructions:
- Peel and finely chop the shallot and put it in a large salad bowl
- Wash the pears and cut them in long thin slices, combine with the shallot
- Clean the chicory and roughly chop it to 1 cm wide.
- Cut the blue cheese in small cubes and add to the vegetables in the salad bowl.
- Roughly chop the walnuts and combine into the ingredients bowl.
- Season with salt and pepper and drizzle a little olive oil to give it some emulsion. Toss gently to combine the flavours.
- To prepare the dressing, combine the French mustard, honey, lemon juice and olive oil whisking well in a bowl until smooth.
- Serve your salad with the dressing and enjoy!
Kumud Gandhi is a Nutritional Food Scientist bestselling Author, Broadcaster, and Keynote Speaker on the subject of nutritional health for productivity & performance in the workplace. In 2010 Kumud founded ‘The Cooking Academy’ a cookery school that focusses on cooking for nutritional health and wellbeing. Kumud regularly presents to international audiences on a variety of topics such as ‘Eating for Immunity and a Lifetime of Wellness’. She is an expert in the field of Wellness in the Workplace and works with organizations to create transformational change in employee health & well-being through nutrition and health coaching.
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