Name: Pickled cherry, gorgonzola and rocket salad
Total time: 20 min
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 150ml rice vinegar; 40g caster sugar; 2 fresh bay leaves; 200g cherries pitted; 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; 2 tsp cherry jam; 2 tsp wholegrain mustard; 100g rocket; 1 red radicchio or chicory torn; ½ a small bulb fennel finely sliced; 100g gorgonzola cut into wedges

A white oval platter on pink mottled stone, topped with rocket leaves and cherries

150ml rice vinegar
40g caster sugar
2 fresh bay leaves
200g cherries
pitted
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp cherry jam
2 tsp wholegrain mustard
100g rocket
1 red radicchio or chicory
torn
½ a small bulb fennel
finely sliced
100g gorgonzola
cut into wedges

Method

step 1
Put the vinegar in a pan with 100ml of water, the sugar, bay leaves and 1 tsp salt. Bring to a simmer. Tip the cherries into a recently sterilised 500g jar. While the jar is still hot, pour in the hot vinegar mixture. Seal and leave to pickle in a cool, dark place for a week before opening. The cherries will keep in the fridge for two months once opened.
step 2
To make the dressing, put 2 tbsp of the pickling vinegar from the jar into a medium bowl and whisk in the olive oil, jam, mustard and some salt and pepper until emulsified. Taste and add a dash more vinegar, mustard or olive oil to taste. Add the rocket, radicchio and fennel, and toss to coat in the dressing. Tip onto a large serving platter or plates, and top with a few spoonfuls of the drained pickled cherries, the gorgonzola and a drizzle of the remaining dressing.