Summer salads are here!
Tis the season for fresh, crispy salads, with local ingredients coming into
the shops. Now all we need is the sun
(cross fingers).
Salads are very 'accommodating’. You can add or subtract ingredients without
too many problems depending on what you have in the fridge. We all have issues
with certain foods, so I tend to ignore ingredients I know can cause problems, e.g.,
chilies, spices, garlic, and onions can react with certain drugs. But if
you can tolerate any of these, adding them to salads adds interest.
My favourite salad makes a very impressive main dish for a summer lunch,
with all the ingredients to give you a good balanced meal. Originally it
came from France and the ingredients make a lovely colourful meal for a celebration:
-
Salade Niçoise - for
4
- 450g/1lb cooked or tinned tuna
- 8 new potatoes, cooked and quartered
- 4 tomatoes or 16 cherry tomatoes
- 115g/4oz thin French beans cooked and drained
- 4 lettuce hearts (Little Gem are ideal)
quartered lengthways
- 4 hard-boiled eggs, cooked for 6-8 minutes in
boiling water and halved (research shows free-range are healthier)
- 1 red onion, finely sliced (optional)
- 6-8 anchovy fillets cut lengthways into thin
strips and/or 16 pitted black olives (optional)
For the dressing
- 7 tablespoons olive oil - or
to taste
- 3 tablespoons vinegar (red
wine vinegar gives oomph, white wine is milder) - or to taste - ratio
depends on how you like your dressing so keep on tasting
- 1 heaped teaspoon Dijon
mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey or sugar
(to balance the vinegar)
- Garlic if you like - rub
the salad bowl with a clove
- I heaped teaspoon salt (Sea
salt is best)
- 1 heaped teaspoon ground
black pepper
- If wanted, add chopped
herbs - parsley, chives, tarragon etc. About 1 - 2 tablespoons
Mix dressing, then gently stir with all the salad ingredients together,
except for the eggs. Arrange in an attractive large bowl or dish and
place the halved eggs on top.
Leftover dressing can keep in the fridge for several days.
Asparagus
English asparagus season starts about now. These are lovely thick spears of
green asparagus, but if you prefer the white continental asparagus this is also
in season - but much more expensive!
To cook, ideally you need a tall, thin saucepan, but otherwise find one
large enough to take a bunch lying down with the tips 'climbing' up the side
(they will cook in the steam). Boil until tender (stick a fork in the
stem to try - about 5 to 7 mins). Serve with melted butter or Hollandaise
Sauce in which to dip the spears. Allow at least 4-6 spears per person (if you
are greedy like me you'll want at least 8!), with melted butter to dip them
into. Or, if you just want a simple meal but need protein try:
Hollandaise
Sauce
Many people won't make this because they are
scared that hollandaise can sometimes “split “or separate. Make the sauce
slowly and if it splits correct it by whisking in a teaspoon or two of boiling water, a
drop at a time. If that doesn't work, put another egg yolk in a bowl and very
slowly whisk into the split sauce.
- 3 egg yolks (save the
whites for pudding)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon
juice
- I teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 ozs melted butter
Gently melt the butter until it's runny (in a microwave for about 1 minute
or in a saucepan). Combine the egg yolks, lemon juice, Dijon mustard and
salt into a high-powered blender and blend for 5 seconds. Slowly stream the hot
butter into the mixture as the blender is running. Serve. It can be
a nice touch to give everyone their own small individual bowl of sauce.
If you have anyone pregnant in the group, then it's probably best to make
the sauce in a bowl over a gently boiling saucepan of water. Stir whilst
adding the melted butter. The heat will cook the egg yolks - but do this
carefully as you don't want an omelette.
Some
people use silver tongs to serve, but I used to see Princess Margaret eating
this in a small local restaurant, and she always used her fingers!
Browse amongst the salads and you'll find watercress to add a lovely
'peppery' touch (try to find local bunched watercress like this which uses
eco-friendly packaging - the 'ready-washed-in-a-bag doesn't have the same zing)
;
Then there are cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, endive, raw mushrooms, bell
peppers, radishes, spring onions, tomatoes, etc. If you like beetroot buy
this ready-cooked, as it takes ages if you cook it yourself. To 'bulk' out a salad and make it a meal, serve with cold meat, smoked
salmon, crumbled cheese pieces (feta, cheddar, blue, etc), walnuts, tofu etc.
to add protein.
Strawberries
These look so good, but sadly if they are out-of-season they can be
tasteless. Now is the time to buy homegrown berries and use them to make a naughty
decadent pudding, or a slightly healthier option.
Eton Mess – for 4
Yes, it was made originally for the boys of Eton College but now we can all
enjoy it. One story has it that a naughty Labrador upset bowls of elegant
meringues meant for pudding; someone quickly scooped them up, mixed them with
strawberries and the cream for serving, and Eton Mess arrived!
- About 1/2 to 1 lb
strawberries raspberries or a mixture
- About 1/2-pint double cream
(you can mix with Greek yoghurt for a healthier option)
- Sugar to taste
- Broken up meringues
To make Meringues
- 3 egg whites
- 6 ozs caster sugar
- Whip whites until stiff,
fold in the sugar then drop teaspoons of mixture onto a baking
sheet. Cook in a low oven until they are hard (150º-175º) for 30
mins to 1 hr. until firm and crunchy.
About an hour before eating, whip the cream with a little sugar (this helps
to firm it) then assemble either in a pretty glass bowl or individual
glasses. Layer pieces of meringue, a layer of fruit then cream and
continue until it looks pretty and you have enough. If you want it to
have crunch, don't make it too long in advance.
Strawberries a la
Ritz
Sitting in this pretty restaurant one day, French friends insisted I must
have strawberries, "because you are English".
They were delicious; I complimented the Maître d’hôtel and he let me into
The Ritz's secret - they sprinkle caster sugar over them, then drops of Grande
Marnier liqueur - just enough to give the berries a lovely taste.
If you don't mind alcohol, you can buy inexpensive miniature bottles of
liqueur - Cointreau is slightly cheaper - and one small bottle should be enough
for 8 - 10 people.
