cape gooseberries

I can now tell you that I’ve been secretly eating gooseberry jam all week. It’s so potent and tart, really good with cheese.

Anyway, onto a gooseberry recipe then – and no, this isn’t cheating – using a variety called cape gooseberries (which are actually more like a kumquat crossed with a cherry tomato than a traditional gooseberry).

To make this refreshing salad, you will need:

• 100 g cape gooseberries
• 1 shallot
• 2 small round red chili peppers
• 1 cucumber
• 100 g peppery radishes

for the dressing:

• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tsp ground or fresh ginger
• 2 tsps honey
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tsp homemade chili oil
• 1 tsp turmeric

1. Wash all vegetables. Discard outer leaf of cape gooseberries and slice thinly.

2. Slice shallots and chilis and mix with the gooseberries in a large bowl.

3. Peel the cucumber and using a vegetable peeler, cut thin slivers of cucumber. Layer them on paper towels.

4. Slice radishes thinly – not paper thin, you want a bit of a crunch and mix with the rest of the ingredients.

5. Make dressing – mix honey and lemon juice then slowly add in the spices and the oils, adding the turmeric last.

6. Dress right before serving and serve immediately – no need to wait for the water-based vegetables to give off more liquid.

This salad has a savory crunch and a lingering ginger kick.