Fried Radishes on Whipped Feta with dates, apples, red onion, and radish tops

Serves 4 - 6

180g soft Danish feta

80ml cream

1 bunch radishes, well rinsed & dried, preferably with their tops

In lieu of radish tops, 100g baby spinach or tender salad leaves

Sunflower oil for frying

Salt and black pepper

A pinch of dried chili flakes

¼ c red wine vinegar or a favourite vinaigrette (I love the Poppyseed Vinaigrette for this salad)

½ cup pitted dates, sliced in quarters lengthways

1 granny smith or pink lady apple halved, cored, and thinly sliced

½ red onion, thinly sliced

20g Italian parsley leaves

½ c toasted flaked almonds

½ tsp sumac

To make the whipped feta, blend the feta and cream together in a food processor. Set aside.

If you have very clean radish tops, flash fry them in a hot pan with a few teaspoons of vegetable oil until just wilted. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the red wine vinegar or dressing and season with salt and set aside.

Halve the radishes and heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy bottomed frying pan. When the oil is shimmering, add the radishes and fry them, stirring from time to time, until they are well-coloured. When they are almost done, at about 5 minutes, add the pinch of chili flakes. Tip the cooked radishes into a bowl and season with the remaining vinegar or vinaigrette. And set aside.

To assemble the salad:

Spread the whipped feta onto a salad platter. Arrange the fried radish tops over the whipped feta. If using baby spinach, spread these leaves over the whipped feta allowing some of the whipped cheese to show beneath the green. Scatter the fried radish over the greens. Arrange the sliced apple between the radishes, sticking up here and there. Scatter the sliced dates and red onion over the salad and sprinkle with the chopped almonds and parsley leaves. Now dust the whole salad with sumac and add a little Maldon Salt.