I have been making these kind of salads for myself a lot recently, where I find all the odds and ends that are left in the fridge and throw them all together. Roasted cauliflower and carrots are just my current favourite; I like to roast the cauliflower until it is sweet with burnished edges. A sprinkle of dukkah and sumac on the veggies makes them sing, and a handful of greens from the garden {whatever looks best or biggest that day} adds the right kind of contrast and colour. And in our house there always seems to be a slice of leftover avocado, so I usually dice that and add it too. 

The leafy greens in our vegetable patch are finally coming along, so there’s usually something to pick from the garden. There’s nothing I like more than a really big handful of parsley or a bit of rocket on top of whatever I am eating, or picking a bunch of fresh herbs to make some quick green scrambled eggs for a weekend breakfast.

I’ve never grown Mizuna before, but decided to give it a go after seeing some seedlings at our local organic store. It’s sometimes called Japanese mustard, and is peppery and pretty and really easy to grow. Funnily enough the rainbow chard seedlings that I also bought ended up being a mix of silver beet and beetroot, so we now have a few rogue beets growing too. The rocket is from some seeds that my son planted at the environment park when he was on a school excursion. And some radishes have cropped up from nowhere.

It’s nice to have a few surprises in life, and even better if they’re good to eat. Bonus points if you don’t know where they came from.

You can make this kind of lunch bowl using whichever vegetables you have on hand, and adding anything fresh and green with something zingy and creamy at the end; a splash of balsamic vinegar and a crumble of feta, some cashew cheese or garlicky hommus, a squeeze of lime and a good sprinkling of salt and pepper. Make it up as you go along, you know it’s going to be good, and if it’s really good maybe you can make the same thing tomorrow…

Warm roasted vegetables with peppery leaves

A simple lunch. Quick, easy and delicious.

1/4 cauliflower, florets cut into halves or thirds
a slice of cabbage
2 baby carrots, halved or quartered
a drizzle of olive oil
a sprinkle of salt and pepper
a handful of rocket leaves
a handful of parsley
a handful of mizuna
1/4 avocado, diced
a sprinkling of dukkah and sumac
a drizzle of olive oil
a squeeze of lemon

Roast the vegetables in a baking tray in a 180°C oven for around 20-25 mins, or until soft and golden around the edges.

Place the veggies on your favourite plate and sprinkle with the dukkah and sumac. Top with the leaves, and the scattering of avocado. Squeeze over some lemon and drizzle with olive oil.