At this point in the summer I only put the oven on when I absolutely have to. If I eat hot food at all then it will probably be something grilled to eat with a crisp salad. To be honest I could eat salads all summer long, they are something I take great joy in shoppng for and preparing, taking my time in the coolest part of the day. I reckon you never have too many recipes for them. Here's some more.
Bread and tomato salad
Well made, this is a salad of bright flavours, of tomatoes, raw young garlic, basil, olives and anchovy. A jumble of lusciously soft vegetables and crisp, open-textured bread. Few salads are as colourful or as flavoursome - this is a meal for the brightest summer's day - but this is not a recipe to get sloppy with; under-ripe tomatoes, wimpish basil and second-rate oil will end in disappointment. And this is not a dish to leave hanging around.
serves 4
open textured bread such as ciabatta - 250g
tomatoes - ripe and juicy - 600g
small cucumber - 1
garlic - 1 fresh, new clove
red or yellow pepper - 1
basil - 1 large bunch
olives - 1 handful
anchovy fillets - 8
olive oil - green and peppery, about 150mls
red wine vinegar - 1 tbs
Set the oven at 180 c/gas 4. Slice the bread thickly - the pieces should be about 1 cm thick - and lay them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle each piece very lightly with olive oil then bake them for about 15 minutes, till they are lightly crisp.
Slice the tomatoes, but don't be tempted to peel or seed them. Put them in a large serving bowl. Peel and seed the cucumber and cut it into rough chunks, then add to the tomato. Finely chop the garlic, cut the pepper into small dice and add both to the tomatoes. Tear the basil leaves from their stalks then add them to the bowl. Rinse the anchovies, then mix them in with the salad. Put the oil and vinegar into a small dish, season it with salt, I think you can be quite generous here, and some black pepper. Toss the dressing, bread and salad gently together and then add the pieces of toasted bread. Eat before the bread gets too soggy.
Radish, mint and feta salad
Most salads' reputation is made by their dressing. The salad that follows is, by contrast, almost naked, just a splash of fruity oil for lubrication and some sharp red wine vinegar for punch. The result is a salad with both a refreshing crunch and salty bite. A summer lunch of singular freshness and vitality.
serves 4
medium to large cucumber - 1
radishes - 1 large bunch
spring onions - 6
feta cheese - 350g
mint - 1 small bunch
flat leaf parsley - 1 small bunch
olive oil
red wine vinegar - not too smooth
Peel the cucumber lightly, so as to remove the coarse skin but leaving behind as much of the bright green that lies directly under the skin as possible. Otherwise the salad will appear insipid. Cut the cucumber in half lengthways, then scrape out the seeds with a teaspoon and discard them. Slice each long half again, lengthways, then cut each piece into short, fat chunks and tip into a large mixing bowl.
Wash the radishes, then top and tail them. Cut them in halves or quarters, according to their size then add them to the cucumber. Trim the spring onions and chop them into thick rings.
Crumble the cheese into small chunks. Tear the mint leaves into large pieces - then toss them all together with the whole parsley leaves, cheese, cucumber, onions and radishes. Drizzle over a little olive oil and vinegar (you don't need a formal dressing here) then grind over a little black pepper, but no salt.
Chicken and lemon couscous
I've done a couple of versions of this lazy, lemon-scented salad over the years and I still think this one is the best. It's a texture thing: the warm grains, the chargrilled chicken and the little nibs of preserved lemon really make it sing in the mouth.
serves 2
couscous - 150g
stock (vegetable stock is fine) - about half a litre
chicken breasts - 2 large, boned
aubergine - 1 large one
fresh mint - 20g
coriander - 15g
preserved lemons - 2
fresh lemon - 1
spring onions - 4
Put the couscous in a mixing bowl. Bring the stock to the boil and pour over the couscous. It should cover the grains by a couple of centimetres or so. Leave until the couscous has absorbed the liquid.
Oil and season the chicken and grill it on both sides until it is golden. It should still be tender inside. I like to do this either on a ridged grill pan or over the bars of a grill, but it is good enough cooked under an overhead grill.
Set the chicken on one side to rest a little. Slice the aubergine thinly and grill it on both sides. Remove from the heat and dress it immediately with olive oil.
Remove the mint leaves from their stems and chop them roughly, then do the same with the coriander. Fold them into the couscous, along with the juice of the lemon. Cut the preserved lemons in half and remove the pips then chop the flesh into small dice, mix it into the grains together with the slices of grilled aubergine, and a generous grinding of salt and black pepper. Divide the couscous between two large plates. Slice each of the grilled chicken breasts into about five thick pieces then lay on top.
Celeriac and walnut remoulade
A fine French salad that we don't seem to make often enough in this country. I have always felt that the beautiful, creamy-green globes of celeriac are seriously underused. Apart from making a splendid mash when mixed with potatoes, it can be grated coarsely, and tossed with mustard and crème fraîche to make one of the all-time classic salads.
serves 4
a large celeriac - about 500g
crème fraîche - 250g
juice of half a lemon
grain mustard - 2 tbs
shelled walnuts - a handful
Bayonne ham - about 16 slices
Mix the crème fraîche, lemon juice and mustard together, stir in a little salt and black pepper. Roughly chop the walnuts and add them to the dressing.
Peel the celeriac, discarding all the thick skin. Cut the vegetable into large chunks then either shred very coarsely on a grater, or cut into long, matchstick-width pieces, and put them in with the dressing. Divide the meat between four plates, then add a spoonful of remoulade.
Mango with lime juice
The mangoes at the moment are as good as I've ever eaten. Show respect by eating them as they are, or with a squeeze of lime.
serves 3-4
mangoes - 2, perfectly ripe
lime - 1, ripe
Peel the mangoes and discard the skin. Working over a bowl, cut long slices from each side of the fruit, catching as much of the juice as you can in the bowl. Then squeeze over the juice from the lime and leave to chill for half an hour or so. Serve just as it is, without cream, sugar or any other fruit.
The wine list
Bread and tomato salad
2003 Côtes du Rhône Rosé, Enclave des Papes (£4.99, Sainsbury's)
This Grenache-based rosé is a perfect summer pink, with refreshing, strawberry and rosehip flavours.
Radish, mint and feta salad
2003 Dashwood Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough (£7.59, Oddbins)
A clean, zesty, elegant, minerally white.
Chicken and lemon couscous
2002 Pouilly-Fuissé Vieilles Vignes, Chteay Vitallis (£11.49, Waitrose)
2002 was an excellent year for Burgundy, and this Mconnais Chardonnay with its notes of honey, butterscotch and citrus fruit lives up to its billing.
Celeriac and walnut remoulade
2003 Grüner Veltliner Gebling Vineyard, Kremstal (£8.99, Marks & Spencer)
You need something with a lot of flavour to stand up to the flavours in this dish, and this is it.
Mango with lime juice
2003 Brown Brothers Late Harvest Muscat Blanc (£5.99, Booths)
One of Australia's most reliable stickies, this sweet, vibrant Muscat, with its flavours of mango and melon is like a fruit salad in a glass. (Tim Atkin)
