- A bag of quinoa
- A punnet of heirloom tomatoes
- A punnet of cherry vine tomatoes
- 3 tsp balsamic vinegar
- ½ lettuce
- A bunch of radishes
- ½ cucumber
- ½ tub of ricotta
- 150ml boiling water
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 3 tsp olive oil
- Sieve
- Small pan with a lid
- Measuring jug
- Colander
- Baking tray
- 1.
Heat your oven to 220ºC/Fan 200ºC/Gas 7. Rinse the quinoa under cold water for 1-2 mins to make sure it’s well washed. Tip it into a small pan. Add 150ml boiling water.
- 2.
Cover the pan with a lid. Bring up to the boil, then turn the heat down low. Simmer for the quinoa for 15-20 mins till the quinoa is tender and the water has been absorbed. If the water is cooking off too quickly, add a splash more. Put aside.
- 3.
While the quinoa cooks, sort the tomatoes. Halve any larger ones and tumble them onto a non-stick baking tray cut side up. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with 1 tsp olive oil and 1 tsp of the Balsamic vinegar. Toss to coat.
- 4.
Roast the tomatoes for 25 mins till softened and charred in places. Shake the pan once, halfway through cooking, to make sure they cook evenly.
- 5.
Shred the leaves from one half of the lettuce. Quarter the radishes, discarding the leaves (see our tip). Halve the cucumber, then slice one half open lengthways. Scrape out the pippy middles using a teaspoon. Slice into crescents.
- 6.
Arrange the lettuce, cucumber and radishes on a platter. Top with the cooked quinoa, roast tomatoes and any juices from the baking tray.
- 7.
Dollop spoonfuls of ricotta from half the tub. Drizzle with another 2 tsp olive oil and the remaining Balsamic vinegar to serve.
- Tip
Leaf it out
You can eat radish leaves in salads, but you don’t need them for this recipe. If you want to use them in something else, slice them off the radishes when you unpack your box, rinse them, pat dry and keep in the fridge in a freezer bag.