Salads that work with an overflowing farm share

In addition to the cabbage and beets, kholrabi, fennel, basil and tomatoes were and are particularly abundant this summer. Here are two salad recipes that will help you out if you're also swimming in a sea of veggies. 

Spaghetti Tomato and Basil Salad

Ingredients:

500g (one package) spaghetti (I like to use soba noodles)

1 cup fresh basil leaves, shredded

8oz cherry tomatoes, halved

1 clove of garlic, crushed

1/2 cup black olives, chopped

1/4 cup olive oil

tbsp balsamic vinegar

Cook pasta until al dente , drain and set aside to cool.

Combine the basil, tomato, garlic, olives, oil and vinegar in a salad bowl. Set aside for about 15 mins.

Mix in the drained pasta.

Add a little Parmesan and salt and pepper to taste, if desired. 

Toss well and serve.

Fennel and Kohlrabi Salad With A Lemon-Caper Dressing

Ingredients: 1 medium kholrabi,1 medium fennel bulb,1 cup/large handful rocket/arugula

Lemon-Caper Dressing
1 large handful small capers
Juice of 1 large lemon + more for crisping the fennel.
Twice the amount of extra virgin olive oil or extra virgin rapeseed oil (as lemon juice)
Black pepper
Sea salt

clove of garlic
1 heaped teaspoon wholegrain mustard

Slice the fennel as thinly as you can and add to a bowl of cold water with the lemon juice. 

Peel and slice the kohlrabi and then pare strips off each slice with a vegetable peeler (this is to get wafer thin slices - annoying but so worth it).

Add to the bowl with the fennel.

Then make the dressing. Crush the garlic with a generous pinch of sea salt in a pestle and mortar. 

Add some black pepper and a heaped teaspoon of wholegrain mustard. Stir together. 

Add the juice of 1 large lemon and the olive/rapeseed oil. 

Whisk to emulsify and then stir in the capers.

Drain the water from the salad and place in a bowl with the arugula .

Add half the dressing and stir to coat. Serve with the leftover dressing drizzled on top.