Roasted Pear and Buckwheat Salad

Mains

By Liberty Browne, Homespun Capers

This warm salad is a celebration of some of the great produce we get in the cooler months. Sweet and tart balsamic roasted pears and colourful carrots, with chewy buckwheat, fresh dill and crunchy walnuts. I use a combination of purple and orange dutch carrots, but any variety and size will work if cut up smaller. Buckwheat cooks to a tender grain that still retains its bite, it is a great alternative to quinoa and rice based salads. Delicious, sweet and nutty; who said you don't win friends with salad?

Ingredients
Method

4 tbls extra virgin olive oil
2 tbls balsamic vinegar
3 tbls Coconut Sugar
¾ tsp sea salt + more to taste
4 (600g) beurre bosc pears, cored and cut into eighths
2 bunches (600g) dutch carrots, halved if large.
1 spanish onion, peeled and cut into eighths
3 cups water
1 ½ cup of Plain Buckinis
1 cup rocket
¼ cup fresh dill, finely chopped
⅓ cup Activated Walnuts
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Step 1Set your oven to 180C.
Step 2In a large bowl combine the oil, vinegar, coconut sugar and ¼ tsp of the salt, and stir till sugar dissolves. Add the pears, onion and carrots and toss until completely covered in the balsamic glaze. Place on a large baking tray and roast in the oven for 30-40 min, tossing occasionally, until the pears and carrots are cooked through.
Step 3Meanwhile, bring 3 cups of water to a boil with ½ tsp of salt. Add the buckinis and bring back to a boil and then cover and lower to a simmer for 10 min or until the buckinis are cooked through but still retain their bite. Drain any excess water and set aside.
Step 4In a large bowl add the cooked buckinis, half the dill, rocket, roasted pears, carrots and onions. Toss the salad till combined, taste and season with pepper and additional salt if desired. Top with the walnuts and rest of the dill to serve.