Harvest Bowl

Rinse the wild rice in a sieve under cold running water. Bring a large pan of water to the boil, add the rice and 1 tsp salt and simmer, uncovered, for 40 to 50 minutes, until the grains are tender but still chewy and many have split open to show their pale insides. Check the packet too, as some wild rice cooks faster.

Meanwhile, heat the oven to 220°C. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into 2 cm cubes. Toss them on a large baking tray with 2 tbsp of the olive oil and a little salt and black pepper, then spread them out in a single layer.

Trim the base of each Brussels sprout, pull off any yellowed outer leaves and halve the sprouts through the core. Toss them on a second baking tray with 1 tbsp of the olive oil and a pinch of salt, then turn them all cut side down.

Roast both trays, swapping their shelves halfway. Take the sprouts out after 20 to 25 minutes, when their cut sides are deep brown and a knife slips easily into the core. Give the sweet potato 25 to 30 minutes, turning it once, until golden at the edges and soft right through.

While they roast, squeeze the lemon; there should be 2 to 3 tbsp of juice. Strip the kale leaves from their tough stalks, tear them into bite-sized pieces and put them in a large bowl with 1 tbsp of the lemon juice, 1 tbsp of the olive oil and a pinch of salt. Squeeze and rub the leaves with both hands for 2 to 3 minutes, until they turn dark green, shrink by about a third and feel silky.

Toast the almonds in a dry frying pan over a medium heat for 2 to 4 minutes, shaking the pan often, until golden. Tip them onto a plate straight away so they do not scorch in the hot pan.

For the dressing, finely grate the garlic into a bowl and whisk it with the vinegar, the maple syrup, the Dijon mustard and a good pinch of salt and black pepper, then whisk in the remaining 5 tbsp of olive oil a little at a time until the dressing looks glossy and slightly thickened. Taste and add a little more salt if it seems flat.

Core the apples, cut them into thin slices and toss them with the last of the lemon juice so they stay pale.

Drain the wild rice well, return it to the pan off the heat, cover and leave it for 5 minutes to steam dry. Fork it through with a little salt and black pepper.

Divide the wild rice between 4 wide bowls. Arrange the kale, sweet potato, sprouts and apple slices on top in separate piles, scatter over the cranberries and almonds and drizzle with the dressing. Serve warm or at room temperature.