Roast summer veg with Graceburn & spiced walnut sauce

Ingredients

For the roast veg

• 3 large green courgettes
• 1 red pepper
• 2 yellow peppers
• 100ml olive oil
• 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
• 6 thyme sprigs
• 6 garlic cloves
• 2 little gem lettuce

For the spiced walnut sauce

• 50g shelled walnuts
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ orange
• 2 tsp pomegranate molasses
• 1½ tsp sherry vinegar
• 50-75ml extra virgin olive oil

To finish

• 250g Graceburn cheese
• 3 sprigs of mint
• 3 sprigs of basil

Method

Heat the oven to 220C. Cut the courgettes into chunks. Deseed the peppers and slice thickly. Transfer to a roasting tray that can take all the vegetables in a single layer. Toss round with the olive oil, sherry vinegar, thyme sprigs, garlic cloves (still in their skin) and plenty of salt. Roast for 30 mins, turning occasionally.

Prepare the little gem lettuce by removing any very loose or damaged outer leaves, then cutting the lettuce into quarters length-wise through the root so each piece holds together. Add to the roasting tray, basting the little gem lettuce with hot oil from the tray. Roast for another 10 mins. It’s ready when everything is just about tender and pleasingly slightly charred.

Let it all cool down a little while you make the sauce. Put the walnuts into a mortar along with the tender garlic flesh from the 6 cloves that roasted with the vegetables, discarding the skins. Pestle into a rough paste. Add the ground cinnamon, juice from the orange half, the pomegranate molasses and vinegar. Season and add just enough olive oil to get the consistency you want.

Arrange the roasted vegetables on a platter. Crumble over the Graceburn. Chop the herb leaves and toss together. Serve with the sauce alongside for everyone to help themselves to, spooning it over.

Image: Kim Lightbody