Salad of Riverina Fetta, Green Beans, Puy Lentils and Walnuts with Lemon Dressing

Earthy Puy lentils simmered until they hold their shape, snap-fresh green beans blanched bright, shaved fennel for crunch, all tossed with creamy Riverina fetta, black olives and walnuts. White tahini and lemon dressing pull it together; the textures stay distinct in the bowl. A summer lunch salad with weight enough to stand alone.

Puy lentils (lentilles du Puy, the small slate-green French lentils grown in the volcanic soil of the Auvergne) are the only lentils that hold their shape through a proper cook. Twenty minutes in well-salted water leaves the centres still slightly firm and gives a textural bite that the cheaper brown lentils can't deliver.

The white tahini dressing is the upgrade. Where most green-salad dressings lean on olive oil and lemon, this one builds on a base of nutty tahini whisked thin with lemon juice and water; the result reads as richer and more substantial than a vinaigrette, suited to the lentils and the fetta.

The fennel goes in raw, shaved paper-thin on a mandolin or a sharp knife. The anise note pairs with the walnuts and the olives in a Sicilian-leaning direction; the fennel fronds reserved from the bulb get torn over the top as a herb. Toast the walnuts in a dry pan first to wake them up; black olives roasted briefly bring a sweet-savoury concentrated edge. Serve at room temperature. A glass of cold Chablis or a dry Provencal rose alongside.