Warm Winter Salad with Puhoi Smoked Cheddar

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°.

2. Peel kumara, and cut into bite sized chunks.

3. Place in a roasting dish with a good lug of the olive oil, thyme sprigs and some salt and pepper.

4. Toss to coat kumara thoroughly and place on the top shelf of the oven. Roast for 35 minutes, tossing once or twice.

5. Cut the tough stems off the Brussels sprouts and remove loose outer leaves.

6. Cut sprouts in half and place on one half of a roasting dish.

7. Halve baby carrots and arrange in the other half of the dish. Drizzle veges with more olive oil, salt and pepper.

8. Cook on the lower shelf under the kumara for approximately 25 minutes.

9. When the veges are cooked, remove from the oven and leave to rest.

10. Turn the heat down to 150°.

11. Wash the kale and dry thoroughly. Roughly tear the leaves from the stalks, and place on a flat baking tray. Drizzle with a generous amount of olive oil, then sprinkle with a little salt. Toss with your hands to ensure leaves are covered with the oil. Cook for about 8-12 minutes, checking at regular intervals, until the leaves are crisp and dark green.

12. Dry fry walnuts in a heavy-based frying pan for a few minutes to release the flavours, ensuring they don’t burn.To assemble the warm salad, remove thyme stalks from kumara. In a large serving bowl or individual bowls, arrange kumara, Brussels sprouts, crispy baked kale, sauerkraut (if using) and crunchy combo sprouts. Finish with a generous sprinkling of crumbled Puhoi Smoked Cheddar and the warm toasted walnuts.