A simple salad inspired by long lazy days in the south of France with good friends and a chilled bottle of Mirabeau rosé. Dark green in colour, capers are the unopened flower buds of capparis spinosa, a plant native to the Mediterranean. Because the caper flower opens with the rising sun, the buds must be harvested between daybreak and sunrise. They’re then sun-dried and pickled in brine to develop the capric acid that produces their tart flavour. This gorgeous little salad comes together in less than 10 minutes so it’s well worth adding to your repertoire for quick midweek suppers, the crunch of the raw courgettes and toasty almonds with little pops of sharpness is so satisfying. I served this one with a beautiful vegetarian lasagne left over from the weekend.

Serves 2-3

Ingredients

1 medium courgette, finely sliced
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 lemon, juiced
2 tbsp non pareilles capers, rinsed
2-3 tbsp flaked almonds
Grana Padano DOP, finely grated (you can also use a hard white goat’s cheese)
Sea salt flakes and freshly ground mixed peppercorns
Espelette chilli pepper PDO, to serve (optional)

How I make it

Arrange the courgette rounds on a plate and pour over the lemon juice and two tbsp of the the olive oil. Set aside to marinate.

In the meantime, heat a small frying pan over a medium heat and add the remaining olive oil. Fry the capers for a couple of minute and transfer to a small plate covered with kitchen roll. Add the almonds to the same plan and fry until golden. Transfer to the same small plate covered with kitchen roll.

Once cool, sprinkle the capers and almonds over the courgettes. Season to your taste and sprinkle with as much grated cheese as you fancy and, if using, a sprinkling with of espelette chilli pepper.