Vegetable carpaccio with saffron verde dressing

Serves 4.

A vibrant and tasty raw vegetable appetiser from Piedmont in Italy, its success is reliant on the superb quality of the raw vegetables used, sliced as thinly as possible and prepared just before serving.

For the dressing

1 garlic clove, crushed

100g (3½ oz) fresh flat-leaf parsley

½ teaspoon red chilli, finely chopped

100ml (3½ fl oz) extra-virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon powdered saffron

½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

15g (good ½ oz) fresh white breadcrumbs

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 small beetroots, trimmed and peeled

1 large head of fennel, peeled

2 sticks of celery

1 small cauliflower, florets only

4 red radishes

1 large courgette

1 small avocado, halved and stoned

For the dressing, blend the garlic, parsley, chilli and oil to a coarse pulp. Add saffron and mustard. Soak the breadcrumbs with the vinegars for one minute, add to the oil. Blend briefly and season.

Using a sharp knife or, better still, a kitchen mandolin, slice all the vegetables into thin shavings. Cut the avocado into thin slices. Arrange the vegetables attractively, with an eye for colour, on four serving places. Drizzle the dressing over and serve with lots of country-style bread.