This red cabbage and beetroot salad is best made a few hours in advance to allow the vinegar and oil to soften the cabbage a little and is a wonderfully colourful accompaniment to cooked game such as pheasant and partridge, roast hams or sausages served with colcannon.

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 small red cabbage, about 750g, very thinly sliced

1 medium-sized beetroot, peeled and finely grated

2-3 eating apples, cored and thinly sliced, the nutty flavoured russet is delicious in this recipe

50g walnuts, broken into pieces

50g dried mixed fruit/seeds of 1 pomegranate

2 tablespoon perry/cider vinegar

75ml olive/walnut oil

3-4 sprigs of fresh tarragon leaves (or parsley) stripped and chopped, squeeze of lemon juice and touch of sugar, seasoning.

Method

Mix the vinegar, oil, herbs, lemon juice, sugar and seasoning together in a large bowl. Add the de-cored, finely sliced apples and cabbage, pomegranate, walnuts and dried fruits and mix them all together thoroughly. Scatter fresh, finely-chopped herbs over the salad just before serving.