Rock Samphire Salad Recipe

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Rock samphire salad adds a maritime note to a garden-grown salad. It’s simple, delicious and easy to prepare. Here’s the recipe.

The idea for this salad came to me after a morning swim in the middle of summer. I noticed the maritime plant growing profusely at my local beach and remembered how healthy it was looking in my garden.

What is Rock Samphire

Rock samphire (Crithmum maritimum) also known as sea fennel, true samphire and mermaid’s kiss is a perennial succulent with blue-green stems and leaves and yellow-green flowers that is related to the carrot and parsley family. My plant is growing along a corner of a raised garden bed so it can spill outside and overhang.

Rock Samphire Salad Recipe

Rock samphire has an intense flavour that is a cross between a carrot and parsley with a salty, seaweed note. If you prefer, you can blanch it before use but I prefer the crisp texture. To blanch it, prepare a bowl of cold water with ice cubes. Bring water to the boil, add the samphire for one minute then strain and place in the iced water.

The recipe doesn’t need exact measurements. Here is what I used:

Ingredients

• rock samphire leaves and sprigs, washed and dried
• cherry tomatoes (I used Tiny Tim, Sweetie and Barry’s crazy tomato)
• cherry bocconcini cheese
• dehydrated saltbush flakes
• Australian olive oil
• lemon juice
• sea salt flakes
• cracked Tasmanian pepperberries
• sea celery flowers

Method

1. Arrange the rock samphire sprigs, cheese and tomatoes on a plate.
2. Drizzle with Australian olive oil and add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
3. Season with dehydrated saltbush, cracked Tasmanian pepperberries and sea salt flakes.
4. Garnish with sea celery flowers.

For a variation, use feta or ricotta cheese and swap the cherry tomatoes for semi-dried tomatoes.

You may also like… Pickled Rock Samphire Recipe

If you make this recipe, don’t forget to tag @the.gourmanticgarden on instagram.