Salads, vegetables and dressings

Getting started: fruits and vegetables

Seasonal vegetables – raw or cooked, grown at home, locally, on a smallholding, organically or large scale – bring with them variety, vitamins, minerals, colour, texture and flavour to everyday eating. Vegetables and salad goods served raw – summer and winter, whole, sliced, chopped or grated – give an extra touch of vitality.

We hear so much about ‘superfoods’, but I believe that all vegetables and fruits are, in their own ways, superfoods. Ginger and other spices are strong antiseptics, kill germs and are natural effective medicines. Vegetables contain dietary fibre, which maintains healthy intestines. Many nuts contain essential minerals; Brazil nuts contain selenium which many of us lack in our diet; walnuts contain anti-ageing ingredients for the brain. The important thing is variety, to eat a little of everything so that body and mind can revel in the full bounty that nature has to offer.

Eating raw vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds enhances not only their goodness, but also our enjoyment of fresh produce. The experience of colour, texture, sweetness and flavour are all notably heightened when produce is eaten just-picked, freshly prepared and raw.

There have never been more fresh vegetables on sale. Exotic produce is on offer year round. Polytunnels and glasshouses have extended the growing season of so much local produce and, because of this, many of us have lost touch with the seasons. Once upon a time the arrival of the new season’s vegetables and fruit was greeted with such excitement… but now it passes unnoticed by many.

Eating fresh produce, raw or cooked, helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer and macular degeneration, due to its antioxidant and fibre content. Current recommendations suggest we should all be eating at least 80g (3oz) of fruits and vegetables per day, and while a few of us eat more than that, sadly many more eat far less.

Seasonal local produce has far more flavour as well as more nutritional value. It is important in Japanese home cooking, washoku, that a sense of season is reflected in everyday meals, and we too should take note. In Japan, it is believed that when produce first comes into season it is particularly important to the diet. So much so that it has given rise to the saying, ‘Eating hatsumono (the new season’s fare) extends life by 75 days,’ and this may be true, as young produce is particularly high in vitamin C and in enzymes.

It is also believed in Japan that people’s health is best supported by the land, water courses and sea on which they live. It is thought that eating wild plants, mushrooms and crops grown locally helps to avoid illnesses and extends life. Locally focused eating is referred to as shindofuji (body and land are not two). Many of us who grow our own, or who live in the country, know the truth in this.

Where is the pleasure in eating a tasteless strawberry in January, dull asparagus in December, tough runner (string) beans in February? Eating should be a pleasure, and part of that enjoyment is connecting with the land and the people who produce our food. Take time to shop locally at your independent shops and stalls on the high street or the market, at a farm gate or in a farmer’s market. Feel the excitement of seasonal shopping. The supermarket has its place, but buying everything under one roof to fill up a trolley encourages waste… and is no pleasure.

Make sure, when you are buying vegetables, that they are fresh. In season, buy root vegetables with their greens intact. Tomatoes and cucumbers should be firm and have the scent of the greenhouse about them (if a cucumber is wrapped in plastic, unwrap it). If vegetables are muddy, they are probably organic. Everything should have that freshly picked look about it. The produce should speak to you. Leaves should be stored in the fridge, tomatoes out of it, root vegetables in a cool cupboard in the dark.

A salad should not need a recipe; it can be as simple as a few leaves with olive oil and lemon juice. It can also be multi-layered, with raw and cooked vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, herbs, raw, cured and cooked meat, fish and cheese. The important thing is to always keep a small selection of salad goods and a jar of home-made dressing in your fridge.

Choose from Cos (Romaine), Little Gem and the ubiquitous Iceberg lettuces, which are sweet, crisp and keep well. Add a little peppery bitterness with rocket (arugula), watercress or dandelion leaves, or milder leaves such as lamb’s lettuce or baby spinach. Add cool, fresh, juicy, crunch: (bell) peppers, celery, cucumber, kohlrabi, fennel, radish or carrot will do the trick. Leftover or lightly cooked vegetables add richness, and diced fruit vibrancy. Finish with an aromatic herb, such as basil, mint or parsley; radiant flowers such as rose petals, borage, nasturtium or pansy; seeds such as sunflower or pumpkin; and nuts such as pistachio or walnut. Toss with your dressing of choice… and you have a different salad for every day of the year.

◁ ‘Cebiche’ heritage tomatoes, sweetcorn and mint

This is a roller-coaster of lively, juicy flavours and the perfect accompaniment for grilled (broiled) meat and fish. Growers are increasingly experimenting with unusual varieties of tomatoes, grown for taste rather than looks. Heritage tomatoes come in a mishmash of shapes and colours. To show off the colours to best effect in this recipe, keep each separate. Buy your corn on the cob as fresh as possible, or even pick your own, then peel off the leaves and cut the corn kernels away with a knife. Their natural crunch and vibrant colour make them an ideal addition to any salad.

Serves 4 as a side salad

1 sweetcorn cob

500g (1lb 2oz) heritage tomatoes, ideally in mixed colours

juice of 1 lime

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2–1 habanero chilli, or other chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

handful of mint leaves, or parsley or coriander (cilantro) leaves, finely chopped, plus a few sprigs to serve

1/2 teaspoon sea salt flakes

Prepare this salad just before serving. Cut the corn kernels from the cob and pile them in the centre of a serving platter.

Cut the tomatoes into 1–2cm (1/2–3/4in) cubes, keeping each colour separate, and arrange in separate piles around the corn.

Squeeze over the lime juice and sprinkle with the oil, chilli and chopped herbs. Scatter with salt and serve with the chopped herb sprigs.

VARIATION: Mix the chopped tomatoes in a bowl and add leftover cold meat, such as beef, venison or lamb, cut into bite-sized pieces, for a lunchtime main course dish.

Celeriac (celery root) salad with horseradish ▷

This is a handy standby, as it keeps well in the fridge in an airtight container and can be made in advance. Be careful not to overdo the mayonnaise or it will be sickly. I keep it light by diluting the mayonnaise and adding oil. Serve with cured and smoked fish and meats as a starter (appetizer), or as a side salad.

Serves 4–6 as a side salad

500g (1lb 2oz) (1 small) celeriac (celery root)

juice of 1 large lemon

3–4 spring onions (scallions), white parts only, finely chopped, plus more to serve

6 cocktail gherkins (dill pickles), finely chopped

1 tablespoon creamed horseradish

150ml (5fl oz/2/3 cup) mayonnaise (for home-made see here)

50ml (13/4fl oz/scant 1/4 cup) extra virgin olive oil

sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

Either shred the celeriac (celery root) in a food processor, or grate it by hand. Put in a large bowl, add the lemon juice straight away (this stops the celeriac [celery root] turning brown) and mix lightly with a couple of forks, lifting the grated celeriac (celery root). Add the spring onions (scallions), gherkins (dill pickles) and horseradish and mix again.

Dilute the mayonnaise with 50ml (13/4fl oz/scant 1/4 cup) warm water and add to the celeriac (celery root). Pour in the oil and mix again lightly with the forks. Add salt and pepper to taste, sprinkle with spring onion (scallion) and serve.

◁ Shredded daikon and carrot with double sesame

Daikon is a snowy white giant radish, sometimes sold as ‘mooli’. It has a strong peppery radish-like flavour and a crisp texture. Nothing else is quite like it, but, if you can’t get hold of it, use grated kohlrabi. Once shredded, immerse the daikon in ice-cold water for 10 minutes, then drain and squeeze out the excess water before use; this reduces the strong taste.

Serves 4 as a side salad

For the vegetables

1 cucumber

1 large piece of daikon / mooli (about 250g/9oz), peeled and finely shredded

1 large carrot (about 250g/9oz), peeled and finely shredded

1–2 teaspoons toasted white sesame seeds

1–2 teaspoons black sesame seeds

For the dressing

2 teaspoons mirin

2 teaspoons tamari soy sauce

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

Partially peel, halve and deseed the cucumber, then put cut sides down on kitchen paper for 10 minutes to drain. Immerse the shredded daikon in iced water for 10 minutes, then drain and dry thoroughly.

Put the mirin, tamari and sesame oil in a screw-top jar, seal and shake. Dry the cucumber and finely slice. Put in a bowl with the carrot and daikon, mix well, then mix in the dressing. Sprinkle with the seeds.

◁ Sweet summer vegetable salad with oriental dressing

The dressing for this salad is Japanese; use it sparingly to enhance the flavour of the new season’s vegetables, rather than coating them. Try and source finger-sized courgettes (zucchini); their texture is rich and waxy, rather than pithy. If you grow your own, make sure you pick them when young. Buy local asparagus rather than imported spears. Broad beans (fava beans) must always be picked young, or they will be tough.

Serves 4 as a side salad

For the dressing

3 teaspoons mirin

3 teaspoons yuzu juice, or lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon honey

6 mint leaves, shredded

2 teaspoons sake

2 teaspoons tamari soy sauce

For the salad

150g (51/2oz) young tender asparagus spears, trimmed

150g (51/2oz) young, finger-sized courgettes (zucchini)

150g (51/2oz) young broad beans (fava beans), podded

40g (11/2oz/1/3 cup) firm raspberries, halved

toasted sesame oil, to serve

mint sprigs or courgette (zucchini) flowers, to serve (optional)

Put the dressing ingredients in a screw-top jar, seal and shake.

Slice the asparagus and the courgettes (zucchini) on the diagonal. Put in a salad bowl, add the broad beans (fava beans), the raspberries and dressing, mix well and add a drizzle of sesame oil.

Top with mint sprigs or courgette (zucchini) flowers, when available.

Watercress, curly kale and pear mayonnaise with walnuts ▷

Great care should be taken when buying shelled walnuts. They should look bright and golden brown, not dark and withered. Check the sell-by date and make sure there are six months or more before it expires: fresh walnuts are sweet and well-rounded in flavour; stale nuts are bitter. If you can, buy them from a local Middle Eastern store, where they will generally be very fresh and relatively inexpensive.

Serves 4 as a side salad

75–100g (23/4–31/2oz/1–11/3 cups) curly kale

1 heaped tablespoon mayonnaise (for home-made, see here)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

2 large ripe-but-firm William pears

juice of 1 lemon

50g (13/4oz/scant 1/2 cup) broken walnut pieces, plus more to serve

75–100g (23/4–31/2oz/2–3 cups) watercress, torn into manageable pieces

Shred the kale finely in a food processor.

Put the mayonnaise in a salad bowl and stir in the oil; if it is very thick, add 1 tablespoon of hot water to dilute it. Taste and season accordingly.

Peel the pears, cut into slivers and toss in the lemon juice to stop them turning brown. Add to the mayonnaise sauce.

Roughly crush the walnuts in a freezer bag with a rolling pin, add to the pears and mix in lightly. All this can be done in advance.

When ready to serve, stir in the shredded kale.

Arrange the watercress on a serving platter and tip the pear salad into the middle. Serve topped with the extra crushed walnuts.

◁ Crudités with tahini and lime dipping sauce

This dipping sauce was inspired by a Korean marinade for grilled (broiled) meat that is made by crushing sesame seeds with sesame oil to create a paste. I use ready-made tahini, which gives an easy-to-make and delicious dip. (Make sure you choose a good-quality, stone-ground tahini.)

If rainbow radishes are not available, use baby heritage carrots, or mix pink radishes with baby carrot, fennel and courgettes (zucchini), cutting them all into the same-sized sticks. Vegans may like to use this dipping sauce as a dressing for salads, rather than egg-based mayonnaise. Delicious!

Serves 4 as a starter (appetizer) or nibble

For the dipping sauce

2 generous dollops of light tahini paste (about 80g/3oz)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

1 large garlic clove, lightly crushed, then halved lengthways (optional)

pinch of sea salt flakes, to taste (optional)

pinch of sugar, to taste (optional)

juice of 1 lime, plus lime wedges to serve

For the crudités

2 bunches of fridge-cold rainbow or pink radishes, or heritage carrots and other baby vegetables

Put the tahini in a bowl and beat in the vegetable oil and enough cold water to create a smooth paste; anything from 1–4 tablespoons. Add the soy sauce and the garlic (if using). Taste for seasoning and, if necessary, add the salt and sugar. Cover and store in the fridge until required (it keeps for about 1 week). If it curdles, simply add more water and beat until it comes right.

Pick over the radishes, carrots and other vegetables, trimming off any tired leaves and stalks. Cut large vegetables into diagonal slices or batons. Immerse in ice-cold water for 10 minutes or so until crisp, then drain and store in plastic bags in the fridge until required.

When ready to serve, add the lime juice to the dip. This may cause the dip to split, but don’t worry, simply add 2–3 tablespoons of boiling water – or enough to dilute – and beat again, then decant into a serving bowl, or divide between individual dipping bowls (discard the garlic, if you used it).

Put the crudités in a bowl and serve with the dipping sauce and lime wedges.

◁ Carpaccio of mushrooms with rocket (arugula) pesto

Use field, portobello or chestnut mushrooms here, or – for special occasions – porcini, if you are lucky enough to find any. Top them with finely chopped hard-boiled eggs before adding the rocket pesto, if you like. Serve as part of a mixed autumnal (fall) antipasto, or with bresaola or other cured meats.

Serves 4 as a side salad, or as a starter (appetizer) with cured meats

150g (51/2oz) mushrooms

11/2 lemons

80ml (23/4fl oz/1/3 cup) extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper

handful of rocket (arugula) leaves

1/2 garlic clove

Wipe the mushrooms and slice them paper-thin. Put in a bowl and cover with cold water, add the juice of 1/2 lemon and leave for at least 1 hour, or overnight, until required. Put the oil, the juice of the remaining lemon and the mustard in a screw-top jar, add salt and pepper to taste, seal the lid and shake well.

When ready to serve, drain the mushrooms and dry carefully on kitchen paper, put them back in the bowl, add 1 tablespoon of the dressing and coat gently. Chop the rocket (arugula) and garlic very finely and add to the remaining dressing. Divide the mushrooms between plates or put them on a serving platter, spreading them out. Drizzle the rocket (arugula) pesto over the top and serve at once.

◁ Fennel and orange salad with cocoa nibs

Fennel and orange is a classic Sicilian winter combination. I have added cocoa nibs to give it a new and rich dimension. The oranges will give up juice as you cut them, but pour it off and drink it rather than leaving it on the salad, otherwise the dressing will be too thin.

Serves 4 as a side salad

3 oranges

good pinch of ground cinnamon

1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced lengthways, plus 2 teaspoons fennel fronds, finely chopped

sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 heaped teaspoon cocoa nibs, crushed

Peel the oranges with a sharp knife, cutting away the pith and the skin. Cut the peeled oranges into wedges or slices, then cut the slices in half and arrange them on a platter. Drink any excess juice. Sprinkle lightly with the cinnamon and scatter half the fennel fronds on top.

Cover the orange with the sliced fennel, adding salt and pepper. Drizzle with the oil and finish with the remaining fennel fronds and the crushed cocoa nibs. Serve at once.

◁ Salsa of red onion, (bell) peppers and avocado with popcorn

Salsas make colourful, refreshing additions to any simple summer dish, such as grilled (broiled) or fried steak, burgers or fish, or can also revitalize winter leftovers. To turn this into a main course, add cooked and cooled quinoa, rice, chickpeas (garbanzo beans) or lentils, and extra dressing. Or turn the salsa out on to a bed of leaves and surround with prawns (shrimp), flaked salmon, mozzarella or feta. Or even add chopped raw fish to create a refreshing tartare.

This is a versatile dish and it’s easy to vary the ingredients: try peas and sweetcorn; or cut tomatoes and cucumber in half, remove the seeds and drain on kitchen paper (paper towels) before cutting into tiny pieces. For sweetness, add ripe kiwis, peaches or plums, chopped small. For a little crunch, add seeds or dried banana chips.

Serves 4 as a side or starter (appetizer) salad

good handful of popping corn kernels

2 tablespoons rapeseed (canola) oil

sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

1 red onion

1 lime

2 ripe avocados

1 large yellow (bell) pepper

1 large red (bell) pepper

handful of coriander (cilantro) leaves, torn

a few drops of Tabasco sauce, or to taste

2–3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Put the popcorn in a saucepan with a lid and add the rapeseed (canola) oil. Cover with the lid and put over a medium-high heat. Gently shake the pan over the heat until the popping starts. When the popping becomes almost constant, slide the pan off the heat, wait a few seconds for the popping to stop, then carefully check under the lid to see if all the corn has popped. If there is still a lot of corn to pop, put it back on the heat. (There will always be a few ‘dead men’.) Add salt and pepper and leave to cool.

Chop the onion and immerse in cold water for 10 minutes, then drain and dry on a clean tea towel.

Zest the lime with a potato peeler, chop the zest finely and wrap it in cling film (plastic wrap). This is to create a rough texture; using a zester would destroy the texture.

Chop the avocados into 1cm (1/2in) cubes and immediately squeeze the lime juice over. Chop the (bell) peppers the same size.

Put the diced (bell) peppers and avocado in a bowl with the onion. Add the coriander (cilantro) leaves, the lime zest and Tabasco sauce to taste (I like lots, but if you don’t, just add 3–4 gentle shakes to bring out the flavour of the salsa without making it ‘hot’).

Season with salt and pepper and the olive oil. Mix well, then add most of the cooled popcorn, reserving a handful to sprinkle over the top.

◁ Spring vegetable Macedonia with matcha dressing

Matcha is the tea served at the traditional Japanese tea ceremony. It is a bright pea green, ground powder-thin, has an unusual, bittersweet flavour and is high in antioxidants. Matcha is very popular in Japan, where it is used to flavour and colour a host of ice creams, biscuits (cookies) and cakes.

The combination of vegetables here lends itself to many of the other dressings in this chapter. The vegetables can be used raw, if you prefer, or blanched and dressed while still warm.

Serves 6 as a side salad

For the dressing

1 teaspoon matcha green tea powder

3 tablespoons rapeseed (canola) oil

pinch of sea salt flakes

juice of 1/2 lemon

For the vegetables

150g (51/2oz/generous 1 cup) peas, ideally freshly podded

150g (51/2oz/1 cup) young broad beans (fava beans), ideally freshly podded

150g (51/2oz) baby carrots

150g (51/2oz) tender young asparagus spears

small bag of baby leaf salad

6 cup-shaped Cos (Romaine) or radicchio leaves, to serve (optional)

To make the dressing, either put the matcha in a bowl with the oil and salt and mix with a traditional Japanese whisk (see photo, here), or put the matcha, oil and salt in a screw-top jar, screw on the lid and shake the jar until the dressing is smooth. Taste for seasoning, and adjust if necessary.

If blanching the vegetables, bring a pan of lightly salted water to the boil and blanch each type of vegetable separately for 1 minute, cooking the asparagus last. Drain and dry each thoroughly on a clean cloth. Cut the asparagus tips diagonally into 3cm (11/4in) pieces and reserve. Cut the asparagus stalks and carrots diagonally into bite-sized pieces and put in a mixing bowl. When all the vegetables are ready, and still warm, add half the dressing and all the lemon juice, then leave to cool completely.

If using raw vegetables, simply put the peas and broad beans (fava beans) in a bowl and cut the carrots and asparagus diagonally into bite-sized pieces, as before. Add half the dressing and all the lemon juice. Add the baby leaf salad and taste for seasoning.

Line a large serving plate with the cup-shaped Cos (Romaine) or radicchio leaves (if using), and spoon the salad into the middle, or into the ‘cups’ for individual servings. Splash the remaining dressing over all, or serve it on the side.

VARIATION: Use other combinations of young vegetables as the year unfolds.

◁ Summer tri-colour beets with crushed Brazils, seeds and marjoram

If you can’t find three colours of beets, use good old-fashioned purple baby beets. You can buy these ready-cooked, but you get better flavour and texture when you roast them yourself. Vary the nuts and seeds and, if you don’t have marjoram in the garden, use thyme or rosemary instead.

When using mixed colour beets, take care not to stain the pale roots with the darker ones. If the beets are very small and tender, they can be scrubbed, cut into wedges and dressed raw.

Serves 4 as a side salad

500g (1lb 2oz) bunch of raw baby beets, ideally in mixed colours

extra virgin olive oil

sea salt flakes

6 sprigs of marjoram, thyme or rosemary, ideally with flowers, plus 4–6 more to serve

1–2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds, or other seeds

50g (13/4oz/1/4 cup) Brazil nuts, or other nuts

Preheat the oven to fan 170°C/190°C/375°F/gas mark 5. Cut off the beet leaves and reserve them for salad if they are young and in good condition, or for steaming as a vegetable. Do not cut the beets, as they will bleed colour, but wash them; you may need a small brush to get rid of any soil. Dry thoroughly.

If the beets are very small and tender, scrub them, cut into wedges and dress raw with oil and salt. This should be done 24–48 hours in advance as the dressing softens them and eliminates the woody taste. Keep different colours separate, so as not to taint the pale beets with the juice of the purple ones.

If cooking, spread out a large piece of foil, pile the beets in the middle, add a drizzle of oil and the 6 sprigs of marjoram and seal the foil loosely around them. Put on a baking sheet and cook for 45–90 minutes, depending on size, or until tender. To check for doneness, open the packet and slide a knife into the centre of a beet; if it slides in and out easily they are ready. When cool enough to handle, separate the different coloured beets. Carefully peel them and cut into wedges. Again, peel and cut pale beets first, so as not to get a purple stain on them. Put each colour of beet in a different bowl.

Tip the pumpkin seeds on to a baking tray and roast in the same oven for 5 minutes, then shake and roast for another 5 minutes or until golden. Leave to cool. Store in an airtight jar and use as required. Meanwhile, put the Brazil nuts in a sturdy plastic bag and roughly crush with a rolling pin. Pick the leaves off the 4–6 herb sprigs to serve, discarding brown leaves and retaining a few delicate top sprigs. Chop the rest finely. (If the herbs are in flower, pick off the flowers and set aside.) Divide between the beet bowls, add 1 tablespoon of extra virgin oil and a few salt flakes to each and mix, then cover.

Carefully arrange the beets on a serving plate, start with the dark ones and finish with the light ones and grade the colours in between (taking care not to get dark beetroot stain on the light beets). Scatter with the roasted seeds, crushed Brazils and herb flowers or leaves. If the pile of beets is particularly pretty, just add a scattering of nuts and seeds and offer the rest on the side. Serve at once.

VARIATION: To make this into a light lunch or supper dish, before adding the nuts, seeds and so on, arrange small cubes of feta, tofu or goat’s cheese around the beets.