Artichoke & Ricotta

‘This is a super-quick option for a fancy salad. It looks good, it tastes good and people will rave about it long after they’ve left.’ – Elena Silcock, author of Salad’s Are More Than Leaves

75g (2 & 1/2oz) almonds

1 onion

100g (3.oz) pitted green olives

350g (12oz) chargrilled artichokes

100g (3.oz) watercress

1 small bunch (about 30g/1oz) dill

250g (9oz) ricotta cheese

1 lemon

salt and pepper

DRESSING

Honey & Mustard  plus 2 teaspoons za’atar or dried thyme

TOPPERS

a few of the roasted almonds and dill leaves (see above)

1] Roast the almonds

2] Whisk up the dressing including the za’atar or dried thyme in a large mixing bowl. Peel and finely slice the onion, then add to the bowl of dressing. Add the olives, breaking them up with your hands

as you go, then add the artichokes and toss well. Add the watercress to the bowl. Pull the dill leaves from the stems and add most of them to the bowl, then roughly chop the roasted

almonds and add most of them too. Hold off tossing just yet!

3] Put the ricotta into a mixing bowl, finely grate in the zest of the lemon and mix together. Season generously with salt and pepper, then spread across the base of a large platter. Cut the zested lemon

into wedges.

4] Toss the salad, taste and season, then pile on top of the ricotta mixture. Finish with the remaining roasted almonds and dill leaves.

This recipe is an extract from by Elena Silcock