Winter salad - fennel, beetroot, orange, radish & rocket

I have always eaten fresh fennel - in our family we'd be close to blows to secure a second helping of a fennel salad. Braising it - as people are often advised to do, seems to diminish this crisp vegetable and reduce it to a watery ersatz version of its wonderfully aniseedy, crunchy self.

Winter salad may sound like an oxymoron but even in the darkest, coldest, gloomiest months of the year we still need fresh food. Tomatoes are a no-no, so cooked beetroot is a good stand in for a soft and sweet dimension. Texture comes in layers from the fresh fennel, to the radish and rocket. Orange gives an acidic contrast to the sweet beet and a sprinkling of toasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds is yet another healthy tasty addition. Dress with a little olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice, salt and pepper.