This makes a great light meal on its own or as an accompaniment to grilled meat such as lamb, chicken or beef. The variety of contrasting textures makes it particularly interesting, with the soft aubergine, crunchy walnuts and luscious figs.
SERVES 4
PREPARATION TIME: 20 minutes COOKING TIME: 15 minutes
2 large aubergines
a drizzle of olive oil
100g/3½oz/heaped ½ cup pearled spelt
4 ripe figs, quartered or sliced
a drizzle of clear acacia blossom honey (optional)
200g/7oz feta cheese, crumbled
150g/5½oz/scant 1¼ cups walnuts, lightly toasted
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE HERB DRESSING:
150ml/5fl oz/scant ⅔ cup olive oil
grated zest and juice of 1 large lemon
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 small bunch of parsley, finely chopped, plus extra to garnish
1 small bunch of mint, finely chopped, plus extra to garnish
1 tbsp capers, rinsed and drained
Preheat the grill to medium-high.
Cut the aubergine into 1cm/½in thick discs and scatter them over a large rack that will fit under your grill (you may need to do this in batches). Brush with a little olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Grill for a few minutes until the first side starts to go golden brown, then turn the aubergine slices over, brush with more olive oil, season again, then grill the other side until golden brown. This should take about 15 minutes in total, depending on how hot your grill is. Remove the aubergines from the heat and leave to one side.
Meanwhile, cook the pearled spelt in boiling water for 20 minutes, or until tender, following the packet instructions. Drain.
Make the dressing by whisking together the olive oil, lemon zest and juice and mustard in a large bowl, either by hand or using a hand-held blender. Add the herbs and capers and whisk again. Reserve about 3 tablespoons of the dressing to garnish. Pour the remainder over the cooked pearled spelt and toss together.
On a large serving plate or individual plates, start layering the ingredients in whichever order you choose. I start with aubergines, then figs. If they’re not terribly sweet, you can add a drizzle of acacia blossom honey to the figs to bring out their flavour. Add the crumbled feta and dressed spelt, then finally add the toasted walnuts and drizzle the reserved dressing over the top. Finish with some extra parsley and mint leaves and serve at once.