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Peel, core and dice the apples. Slice the celery and add both to the bowl.
Mix the salad, adding enough vinaigrette (#ulink_668243aa-364f-55ee-9fe8-d7ad8740f5c4) to make it glossy. Put into a salad bowl, serving dish or divide between individual plates, adding a few sprigs of watercress and sprinkling with chopped walnuts.
Beetroot and horseradish salad v
A curiously pleasant mixture of flavours and textures, this salad makes a good accompaniment to cold savoury dishes.
SERVES 4
700g (1½lb) cooked beetroot (with no added vinegar)
1 eating apple
1 tsp caraway seeds
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1–2 tbsp horseradish sauce (#ulink_fd3fdcf7-7604-507b-99eb-0a8165d02aee)
Peel and dice the beetroot and the apple. Put them into a bowl with the caraway seeds, sugar, vinegar and horseradish sauce (#ulink_fd3fdcf7-7604-507b-99eb-0a8165d02aee) and mix them all together lightly. Chill in the fridge before serving.
Raw beetroot salad v
Raw beetroot is said to contain enzymes that are particularly valuable for health, and features in many natural cancer cures. It is also said to contain a substance that helps to break up fat deposits in the body and thus aid slimming! In any case, I like the sweet, earthy flavour and vibrant ruby colour of it; try it in this tasty main course salad.
SERVES 4
225–350g (8–12oz) raw beetroot
4 eating apples
4 sticks of celery, finely sliced
4 tbsp raisins
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar or cider vinegar
peel of ½ lemon
1 lettuce
1 tbsp chopped fresh chives, to garnish
Peel and coarsely grate the raw beetroot and apples, add the celery, raisins, oil and vinegar.
Remove the peel from the lemon using a potato peeler, then snip into 1cm (½in) slivers using scissors; add to the mixture. Allow to marinate for an hour or so if possible.
Serve on a bed of lettuce, top with a sprinkling of chopped chives.
Roasted beetroot and goat’s cheese salad
This salad is a great combination of contrasting flavours and textures. I love to use baby beetroot if they’re available, but if not, just cut normal-size ones down through their stalks into quarters.
SERVES 4–6
450g (1lb) raw baby beetroot, preferably no bigger than plums
olive oil, for brushing
120g bag of mixed salad leaves, including some frisée and baby lettuce leaves
a few sprigs of fresh dill or lovage, if available
200g (7oz) soft goat’s cheese
freshly black pepper
balsamic dressing (#ulink_adeea15c-f37f-5da1-9009-a25df2b5e604)
Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F), gas mark 5.
If the beetroot still has leaves attached, cut these off about 5cm (2in) from the root. Put the beetroot in a roasting tin, brush with oil and roast in the oven for 30–45 minutes or until tender when pierced with the point of a sharp knife.
Divide the beetroot between individual plates, along with the salad leaves, dill or lovage and the goat’s cheese. Coarsely grind a little black pepper over the goat’s cheese if you wish. Drizzle some balsamic dressing over the salad leaves and serve.
Broad bean, pea and feta salad with mint
This dish is the taste of summer on a plate and works equally well with fresh or frozen broad beans and peas. If the broad beans are much bigger than hazel nuts you could pop them out of their grey skins after cooking – a labour of love, but worth it for the brilliant colour and delicate texture of the skinned beans.
SERVES 4
250g (9oz) frozen or podded broad beans (500g (1lb 2oz) in their pods)
350g (12oz) frozen petit pois or podded peas (700g (15lb) in their pods)
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1½ tsp white or red wine vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
caster sugar, to taste
200g (7oz) feta cheese, cut into 1cm (½in) cubes
about 8 good sprigs of mint, chopped
Cook the broad beans in half a panful of boiling water for 2 minutes, until beginning to soften or then add the peas, bring back to the boil and cook for a further minute or so, until tender.
Drain the peas and beans and return them to the pan. Mix in the oil, vinegar, salt, a grinding of pepper and perhaps a pinch or two of sugar to taste, if necessary. Add the feta and chopped mint and stir gently. Serve immediately, still warm, or eat it when it’s cold. It’s lovely either way.
Butter beans and mushrooms with coriander v
This succulent and spicy salad makes an excellent starter. Serve it with some bread to mop up the delicious juices.
SERVES 4 AS A STARTER, 2 AS A MAINS SALAD DISH
225g (8oz) baby button mushrooms
3 tbsp vegetable oil
3–4 tsp ground coriander
2 garlic cloves, crushed
125g (4oz) dried butter beans, soaked, cooked and drained; or 400g can drained and rinsed
1–2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper
TO SERVE
2 handfuls of salad leaves
2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Wash the mushrooms and halve or quarter them if necessary.
Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the mushrooms. Fry for 2–3 minutes, just to tenderise them, then add the coriander and garlic, and fry for a minute or two more.
Remove the pan from the heat and add the butter beans and lemon juice, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
You can serve this salad straight away, warm and juicy from the pan, or let it cool. Pile it up on a base of pretty salad leaves and scatter with chopped parsley.
Butter bean, tomato and olive salad v
This succulent mixture of flavours is delicious as a first course for four people, or as a light lunch or supper for two, served with some bread and something green and leafy to make the meal complete.
SERVES 2–4
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp wine vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 mild onion, sliced
450g (1lb) tomatoes, sliced
400g can butter beans, drained and rinsed or 125g (4oz) dried butter beans, soaked, cooked and drained
a handful of black olives
Put the oil and vinegar into a mixing bowl, or straight into a salad bowl, and add a little salt and pepper.
Add the onion, tomatoes, butter beans and olives and turn everything gently to mix the ingredients.
Serve from the bowl, or on individual plates.
Greek butter bean salad v
This tastes like the bean salads you get all over Greece, which I love, but without all the hours of slow cooking. In fact, it’s almost instant, though it does benefit from sitting for an hour or so. Enjoy it with Greek salad (#ulink_154e5e74-6733-5ab3-8a77-1f7b0832e50e), kalamata olives and ciabatta.
SERVES 4
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp tomato purée
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 × 400g butter beans
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, to garnish
In a large bowl mix together the olive oil, garlic, tomato purée and lemon juice.
Drain and rinse the beans, and add to the bowl. Mix well and season with salt and pepper to taste.
If possible, let the salad rest for an hour or so for the flavours to develop.
Serve at room temperature, sprinkled with chopped parsley.
Roasted butternut squash salad with balsamic dressing v
A fabulous salad: meltingly tender pieces of sweet butternut squash bathed in a glossy tamari and balsamic dressing with a hint of chilli, a scattering of sizzling hot sesame seeds and some peppery green rocket.
SERVES 4–6
