Pickled root vegetable salad with nectarine, crispy bacon and hazelnuts

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch medium-sized beetroot

• 1 punnet baby carrots

• 1 bunch spring onion

• 1 garlic clove, sliced

• 1 knob of ginger, sliced

• 1 cup rice vinegar

• ½ cup castor sugar

• drizzle of honey

• 2 Tbsp soy sauce

• 2 – 3 nectarines, pitted and thinly sliced

• 100g streaky bacon, finely chopped and fried until crispy

• 100g hazelnuts, blanched (no skin) and roughly chopped

Method:

1. Cook beetroot till tender and cut into quarters.

2. Peel and cook baby carrots and cut in half. Keep beetroot and carrots separate

3. Cut spring onion in equal lengths and slice in strips.

4. Mix garlic, ginger, rice vinegar, sugar, honey and soy sauce in a pot and bring to a boil. Stir until sugar is dissolved and pickle slightly thickened.

5. Pour warm liquid over beetroot and carrots and allow to pickle for a half hour.

6. Drain beetroot and carrots. Layer beetroot, spring onion and carrots on a flat platter topped with nectarines and finished off with crispy bacon and hazelnuts.

Serve with a glass of DUKE White Pinotage.