Bergamot and cucumber salad
I only recently discovered my love for Earl Grey tea. Not the regular kind, mind you. It was the combination of Redbush tea from my homeland with the intoxicating aroma from the Bergamot oil that swayed me. The Bergamot orange (sometimes mistakenly referred to as a lemon) was created more than 300 years ago in Southern Italy when a sour orange was crossed with a citron/lemon/lime/Palestine sweet lime. No one is quite sure. The oil is extracted from the rind and used in Earl Grey teas, as well as fragrances, aromatherapy and to flavour dishes. Here I’ve put them to good use in a refreshing salad dressing with cucumber and blueberries. But the options really are endless…
Bergamot lemon cucumber salad
If you cannot find Bergamot oranges (in season from December to February) try a combination of lemon, grapefruit and orange or tangerine, although the distinctive floral, slightly bitter flavour is difficult to replicate.
Serves 4 – 6
Ingredients for the salad
2 English cucumbers, peeled if not organic
1 punnet blueberries (about 125g), washed and halved if you prefer
a large handful of pistachio nuts, roughly chopped
Ingredients for the dressing
zest of 2 Bergamot oranges
juice of 1 Bergamot orange
80ml thick Greek yoghurt (or coconut yoghurt)
45ml (3 tablespoons) extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
large pinch of unrefined rock or sea salt
1 – 2 teaspoons raw honey (or maple syrup), or to taste
small bunch of dill, leaves only, finely chopped
Method
- Thinly slice the cucumber on the diagonal and gently toss with a pinch of unrefined salt. Place the cucumber slices in a colander over a bowl or in the sink and allow to drain for at least half an hour.
- Put all the ingredients for the dressing in a jar, screw on the lid and give it a good shake until the honey is dissolved.
- Add the rest of the salad ingredients, toss with the dressing and serve immediately.
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