Speck, watercress and melon
Serves 2
large charentais melon - half, chilled
watercress - 1 bunch
sherry vinegar - 1 tbs
walnut oil - 1 tbs
olive oil - 1 tbs
flat leaf parsley - 1 small bunch
speck - 8 thin slices
Scoop the seeds from the melon, slice away the skin and cut the flesh into six thin slices. Divide between two plates. Wash the watercress, remove the tough stalks, then tuck it in among the melon. Mix the sherry vinegar with the walnut and olive oil and a little salt and pepper, then chop the parsley leaves and stir them into the dressing. Dress the melon and watercress. Lay the slices of speck over the melon and serve immediately.
Tomato salad with warm basil dressing
Serves 4 as a side salad
small shallots - 3
olive oil - 100ml
garlic - 2 cloves
flat-leaf parsley - 6 bushy sprigs
juice of a lemon
red-wine vinegar - 1 tbs
anchovy fillets - 8
medium to large basil leaves - 20
small tomatoes - 25-30
Peel the shallots, chop them finely and warm in a shallow pan with the olive oil. Peel and finely slice the garlic and add it to the softening shallots. Remove the parsley leaves from the stalk and chop them roughly.
Stir them into the shallot with the juice of the lemon and the red-wine vinegar.
Rinse, dry and roughly chop the anchovies, tear up the basil leaves and add both to the dressing.
Cut the tomatoes in halves or quarters, depending on their size, dropping them into a mixing bowl as you go. Pour over the warm dressing (never get basil too hot), toss gently and serve.
Cheese salads with a twist
Warm lentil and feta salad
I have got a bit of a thing about piquant sheep's cheese and earthy pulses. Sometimes I toss grated young pecorino with hot chickpeas and spiky, throat-catching rocket leaves. On other occasions I make a salad such as this with warm lentils and baked cheese, scooping it up with soft, warm bread.
Serves 2
small dark green lentils - 150g
medium-sized red onions - 2
thyme - 6 bushy sprigs
olive oil
feta cheese - 400g
mint - about 25 leaves
warm Middle Eastern bread, to serve
Set the oven at 200°C/gas 6. Rinse the lentils under running water and bring them to the boil in deep water. Turn down to a rolling boil and let them cook for 25-30 minutes until tender but nutty. Peel the onions and slice them thinly. Break the slices into rings and put them into a mixing bowl with the leaves from the thyme sprigs and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Toss and season with black pepper.
Put a piece of kitchen foil or greaseproof paper on a baking sheet or ovenproof dish and scatter half the seasoned onion rings on it. Lay the blocks of feta on top and scatter over the remaining onion. Scrunch the foil loosely over the top to seal, then bake for 20-25 minutes, by which time the onions should have softened.
Drain the lentils, chop the mint leaves and mix them with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Toss the drained lentils in with the oil and mint then grind over both black pepper and a little salt. Divide them between two warm plates then lay a piece of feta and some of the onions on top. The hot, soft cheese may crumble, but no matter.
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.
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 segment in 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.
Salad of judion beans and picos
Serves 4
judion beans - 250g (or butter beans)
young chard - 200g
picos or other blue cheese - 300g
for the dressing:
olive oil - 3 tbs
sherry vinegar - 1 tbs
grain mustard - 1 tsp
garlic - a single, small clove
Soak the beans overnight in cold water. (You really cannot bypass this.) Next day drain the beans and bring them to the boil in a pan of deep, unsalted water. Let them simmer until they are tender, which will be a good 40 minutes, depending on the age of the beans. An old batch will take longer. Check the beans as they are cooking to make sure that they are not overcooking - they are prone to turning to a purée without warning. Salt them about 15 minutes before the end of cooking.
Wash the chard and cook it in a little water: it should take three or four minutes to cook. Drain thoroughly. Drain the beans and let them cool to hand heat. Pop each bean from its skin. I know this seems like an endless task, but the difference it makes is worth every second of your time. Make the dressing by mixing the oil, sherry vinegar, mustard, the crushed garlic and some salt and pepper. Toss with the warm beans.
Divide the chard and beans between four plates, then add the cheese cut into thin slices, tucking it in among the salad.
Red cabbage, blue cheese and walnut slaw
A salad for a light lunch or maybe a first course.
Per person
red cabbage - ¼
fennel - ½ medium-sized bulb
russet apple - 1
lemon juice - a little
medium carrot - 1
blue cheese such as harborne, cashel or beenleigh - 150g
walnuts - a handful
celery - a rib
for the dressing:
mild red wine vinegar - 2 tbs
smooth Dijon mustard - 2 tsp
groundnut oil - 3 tbs
walnut oil - 2 tbs
caster sugar - a pinch
Shred the cabbage and fennel. Core the apple, slice finely and toss in a little lemon juice. Shred the carrot into matchsticks (or grate it very coarsely). Slice the cheese thinly. Toast the walnuts in a non-stick pan till they smell warm and nutty. Thinly slice the celery.
Make the dressing by mixing the vinegar and mustard with a little salt and black pepper. Beat in the groundnut and walnut oils, then taste, and add a little sugar if necessary. Toss the salad ingredients together, gently, so you don't break up the cheese too much. Divide between plates and drizzle over the dressing.
Vegetarian salads
Fresh borlotti with olive oil and foccacia
Boiled beans, nutty, warm and firm, with garlic, rocket leaves and thick, emerald-green olive oil. A salad with all the scent of Italy to it.
Enough for 2
borlotti beans - 250g (shelled weight)
bay leaves - 2
garlic - 2 cloves
olive oil
rocket leaves - a handful
foccacia bread, to serve
Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Shell the beans and add them to the boiling water with the bay leaves, but avoid any temptation to add salt. Cook them for about 40 minutes, until they are tender but still have a bit of bite to them. Drain and season with salt, then drizzle with a little olive oil. Peel and slice the garlic and warm gently, without colouring, in a good four or five tablespoons of olive oil in a shallow pan. Toss the beans in with the olive oil, stir gently, then tip them into a bowl with the rocket leaves. Eat with foccacia, while the beans are still warm.
Salad of oranges and watercress
It is difficult to think of a salad that is more refreshing than citrus fruit and hot green leaves. I sometimes use rocket and grapefruit or mustard greens and pink grapefruit, but the minute the sun shines I think of watercress.
Serves 2 as a side salad
large oranges - 2
a pomegranate
mixed seeds, pumpkin, sunflower, flax - 3 tbs
alfalfa or radish sprouts
watercress - 5 large handfuls
for the dressing:
lemon juice - 2 tbs
walnut oil - 2 tbs
olive oil - 2 tbs
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Peel the oranges, taking care to remove every bit of white pith. Slice the peeled orange into thin rounds, about six or eight slices per orange. Put them in a bowl. Break open the pomegranate and remove the seeds, carefully discarding all the bitter white pith. Toast the seeds in a dry, non-stick pan; add to the orange. Rinse and dry the sprouts and add to the orange with the watercress leaves and their fine stems. Make the dressing: mix the lemon juice and oils with little salt and black pepper. Toss with the salad.
Bread and tomato salad
Well made, this is a salad of bright flavours - a jumble of lusciously soft vegetables and crisp, open-textured bread. 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 150ml
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 and some black pepper. Toss the dressing, bread and salad together and then add the pieces of toasted bread. Eat before the bread gets soggy.
Eat as a main course or starter
Asparagus with smoked trout, basil and anchovy sauce
A light main course of smoked fish and herby dressing, which would also be suitable as a starter for four. The dressing may seem a bit punchy for asparagus, yet it works beautifully. I like to eat this with plenty of generously buttered white bread. Once the asparagus season is over, try this with French beans.
Serves 2
for the sauce:
flat-leaf parsley leaves - a handful
mint - small bunch
basil - about 30 leaves
anchovy fillets - 5
dijon mustard - 2 tsp
olive oil - about 4 tbsp
juice of half a lemon
for the asparagus:
sprue or very fine asparagus - 1 bunch
smoked trout fillets - 4
Put the parsley leaves in a food processor or blender. Pull the mint leaves from their stalks and add them to the parsley, with the basil leaves and rinsed anchovy fillets, mustard and a tablespoon of water. Blitz till smooth(ish) and bright green, pouring in the olive oil as you go. Lastly, brighten the flavour with a shot of lemon juice. You may not need all of it - taste as you go.
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Slide the asparagus into the water. If you are using genuinely thin stalks they will need just a few minutes to cook to tenderness - start checking after four minutes. Drain and leave to cool.
If the trout is on the bone, skin it and remove the fillets from the bone. Toss the asparagus in the dressing, then divide most of it between two plates. Lay the fish on top, then add the remaining asparagus. Spoon over any last drops of dressing.
Salad with ham
Charentais melon and parma ham
Serves 2
lemon juice -1-2 tbs
olive oil - 4 tbs
charentais melon - 1, medium sized
parma ham - 6 slices
buffalo mozzarella - 6 baby or 1 large ball
flat-leaf parsley - a few bushy sprigs
rocket - 50-75g
Mix the lemon juice and olive oil then season it lightly with salt and pepper. Cut the melon into thick slices, remove and discard the seeds, retaining as much of the juice as possible.
Cut the flesh into chunks and drop them into a bowl. Tear or cut the ham into wide strips. Break the mozzarella in half, or, if you are using a large ball, cut it into thick slices. Add to the melon. Chop the parsley, toss gently with half the oil and lemon dressing. Dress the rocket with the remaining half of the oil and lemon. Divide them between two large plates. Tuck the melon salad among the rocket leaves and serve immediately.
