Sweet, crisp and so fruity, this delicious salad makes use of summery gluts. The raspberry balsamic dressing is delicious poured over mixed leaves and roasted chicories, and is a great way to use less than perfect raspberries. 

Recent high winds has meant a lot of windfalls. Some are too sour to eat so we add those to the compost heap, but these apples, the variety is Katy, ripen early and are delicious.

Yesterday was a Homeacres course day so I was busy making the lunch for us all. Charles brought in a box of fresh red apples he had gathered from underneath the trees, all damaged in some way – a bruise, or a nibble from a bird or insect as they lay on the grass – but still good to use. I used them to make raw beetroot and apple salad and apple and celery waldorf-ish salad with cashews (the recipes are in The Creative Kitchen). He also picked a beautiful bowl of fresh raspberries and so Summer Apple and Raspberry Salad was created.

This is the lunch I made.  Everything here is plant based and made using vegetables, fruit, dried beans and herbs grown at Homeacres by Charles or in my own garden and allotment in Bruton. Some things are grown undercover in the greenhouse and polytunnel – aubergines, tomatoes, basil, peppers; everything else grows outside.
My favourite was the dish which looks the most unappetising in the photo – the grey pate. It’s influenced by baba ganoush but made with oven baked aubergines and czar beans (they are a kind of runner bean, the white beans in the photo). Looks a bit like polyfilla, tastes sublime!

Summer Raspberry and Apple Salad

Ingredients

500g raspberries
4-6 apples (I used 6 but after chopping out the bruised and nibbled parts it equalled 4 apples)
50 ml light oil (olive, sunflower, grapeseed)
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp unbleached sugar
1 tbsp maple syrup
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper

First of all, make the dressing.

Place 100g raspberries in a small bowl. I used the least perky of the fruit, the slightly squashed or just over ripe. Sprinkle over the teaspoon of sugar and mash with a spoon. Leave for 30 minutes to allow all of the juices to ooze out.

Next, add the vinegar, maple syrup, oil, lemon juice, a pinch of salt and a few grinds of fresh pepper. Stir well and leave to infuse for at least another 30 minutes.

When the dressing is ready, chop the apples into bit size pieces and place in a large bowl. Pour over the dressing and carefully mix until all of the apple is coated pink.

 

Now, add the rest of the raspberries and very carefully stir to coat. Spoon into your serving dish. Sprinkle with finely chopped mint or lemon verbena and serve. Remember to dip your bread into the salad dressing – it’s almost like dessert!

I noticed ripe blackberries in the back garden this morning, so I am going to try this recipe with blackberries and apples, served with chopped cinnamon basil from the polytunnel.

What other fruit do you think would taste good in this recipe?

Variations!

For an oil free dressing, replace the oil with 50 ml apple juice (or water).

You can replace the maple syrup with a tbsp honey, agave or other liquid sweetener.

Try orange instead of lemon juice for a different twist to the salad.

To make a sugar free version, omit the sugar and maple syrup. Mash the raspberries in a dish with the lemon juice, balsamic vinegar and oil. Leave to infuse for at least 30 minutes, taste and season as you wish.