Category: 1990’s recipes


Dec
2022

Rose Petal and Nasturtium Leaf Salad

categories: 1990's recipes, Edible Flowers, Magazines, Roses, Salad, Vogue Entertaining & Travel

Hello friends and welcome to the latest edition of Things Posh People Ate in the 90s.  This week’s fancy dish comes from the pages of  Vogue Entertaining from March 1990.   And what could be posher than a salad made of flowers?  Or more pretty?  This Rose Petal and Nasturtium Leaf Salad would make a lovely addition to a spring or summer lunch.

Rose Petal and Nasturtium Leaf Salad

This would also be a delightful addition to your Christmas dinner table, ideal for a girl’s night or a romantic dinner à deux!  The rose petals don’t add a heap of flavour (that comes from the rosewater in the dressing) but the nasturtium leaves are nice and peppery.  The pea shoots bring some freshness, the olives some briny bitterness, and some depth to what is otherwise pretty much all sweetness and light.  The orange dressing is refreshing and not too sweet.

Also, if like me you do not grow your own roses or nasturtiums, please make sure they come from a reputable source and have not been sprayed with any pesticides or other things you do not want to eat!  My petals and leaves came direct from my mum’s garden.

Rose Petal and Nasturtium Leaf Salad.2jpg

Rose Petal and Nasturtium Leaf Salad – The Recipe

Rose Petal and Nasturtium Leaf Salad Recipe2

Additions

You could add any (or all) of these to this salad depending on your preference or how big you want your salad to be:

  • Toasted flaked almonds for some crunch
  • Goat’s cheese for some creaminess
  • Wafer thin slices of fennel for crunch and a little hit of aniseed

 

 

Serving Suggestions

Vogue Entertaining serves this with a seafood salad with a creamy pesto dressing.  Far be it for me to contradict them but pesto can pack a punch of flavours (which s what makes it so delicious) but may overpower the delicate nature of this salad.

I would go with

  • Chicken – either poached or roasted
  • A grilled salmon fillet or
  • Some grilled prawns or scallops

Fun Facts

The article containing the Rose Petal and Nasturtium Leaf Salad was called Culinary Canvas and featured the artist Mary Pinnock.

Mary Pinnock - Article

 

“I dig cooking with them because they are so available,” she says, reaching through the kitchen window and plucking a handful from a hanging pot.

Mary Pinnock on nasturtium leaves.

I had a quick look online for Mary and you can still buy her artwork for a very reasonable price.  This one, featuring nasturtium leaves has a  price guide of only $150-250 which is an absolute bargain!  If it was actually for sale I might be tempted to buy it myself!

 

 

Rose Petal and Nasturtium Leaf Salad.4jpg

 

Have a great week!

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Jun
2022

Warm Chestnut Salad

categories: 1990's recipes, Australian Gourmet Traveller, Magazines, Salad

This post on a Warm Chestnut Salad was going to be an edition of “what posh people ate in the 1he 1990’s” however it turned into a real-life “what posh people eat in the 2020’s!  Chestnuts and prosciutto were, and are still fairly high-end items.  BUT what has pushed this salad into the realms of high-end dining this year is the greenery!

Warm Chestnut Salad 1

Due to floods, constant rain and various supply chain issues there are currently vast shortages of lettuce in Australia.  Iceberg lettuces which normally cost around $2 are retailing for as much as $12 per lettuce!  That is when you can even find them.  Reminiscent of the toilet paper drama of 2020, supermarket shelves normally stacked with the green stuff are empty!  Chain restaurants such as McdDonald’s and KFC are subbing cabbage into their burgers.

I was lucky enough to find some mixed leaves at a not exorbitant price at my local greengrocer last week and being able to have some fresh salad to eat made this meal feel utterly luxurious!  Lettuce is not the only thing in short supply.  Supermarkets are also warning that other produce will also be in short supply in the coming weeks:

Food shortages

Looks like it might need to be cocktails and cakes for the next few weeks on the blog.  Oh well, I can think of worse things!


Warm Chestnut Salad 2

Warm Chestnut Salad – The Recipe

The recipe for the Warm Chestnut Salad comes from the May 1993 issue of Australian Gourmet Traveller.  The OG recipe calls for the prosciutto to be grilled until crisp.  I prefer my proscuitto au naturale. Go your own way on this one.  The recipe also says it feeds four as a side salad, I halved the quantities and had it as a main meal.Warm Chestnut Salad Recipe

 

This is an easy salad to make and it was absolutely delicious.  I would make this once a week for the whole of chestnut season if only the salad greens weren’t going to bankrupt me!  I have never had any luck growing lettuce but it might be time to give it another try.

Warm Chestnut Salad 3

Have a wonderful week!