Fig and whipped ricotta, brought alive with the acidity of floral vinegar, meld into a salad that’s a feast for the taste buds as well as the eye.

Purple Fig Salad on Whipped Ricotta Recipe

by Jess Shepherd and Luke Grant, Good to Gather Restaurant, Rozendal Farm, South Africa

Ingredients

Serves 2

500g ripe purple figs, cut into quarters

3 tbspn extra-virgin olive oil

1 tbspn  Hibiscus or other flower-infused Vinegar

½ tbspn whole-grain mustard

A mix of baby salad leaves and herbs, such as basil, dill or French tarragon

salt and black pepper to taste

1 shallot or small red onion, very thinly sliced

125g ricotta

6 tbspn heavy cream

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil, vinegar, and mustard. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add the figs and sliced onion, mix to combine and set aside.

2. Crumble the ricotta into the bowl of a food processor and whip until creamy, scraping down the sides of the work bowl as needed. Add the heavy cream, lemon zest and juice, and whip until fluffy, about 1 minute, scraping the bowl as needed. Transfer to a bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Spread the whipped ricotta on a serving platter or shallow bowl, distributing it evenly using the back of a spoon. Scatter over the dressed figs and season with freshly cracked black pepper. Add the salad leaves and herbs to the fig bowl to soak up the extra dressing, and place on top of the figs.

4. Serve with crusty bread on the side.

STORY BY LORI COHEN / PHOTOGRAPHY BY WARREN HEATH - BUREAUX / PRODUCTION BY SVEN ALBERDING

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