One of our favorite things about summer are the months of long alfresco weekend lunches that call for delicious salads. Sitting (preferably in the garden, under a shady tree) for too long around a table as lunchtime becomes a lazy afternoon just about our favorite way to spend a sunny weekend. Key, of course, is what’s on the table. Cue a delicious array of summer salads from brilliant cookbooks that we love to turn to again and again, namely Gwyneth Paltrow’s Notes from my Kitchen Table, the inimitable and completely classic 21 Club Cookbook and Ottolenghi. Here are three recipes from these three books we’ll be heading straight to make as soon as the sun peeks out this summer.
1. Gwyneth Paltrow’s Lobster Club Salad
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
8 slices duck or turkey bacon (or whatever kind of bacon you love)
3 heads baby gem lettuce, 2 hearts romaine or 2 heads round lettuce, roughly torn
1 avocado, peeled, stoned, and diced
1.15kg cooked lobster meat (1 medium lobster or 2 lobster tails should do), finely chopped
225g cherry tomatoes, halved
125ml vinaigrette
Method
1. Cook the bacon in a frying pan until crispy. Drain on kitchen paper, cut off and discard the fat if desired, and dice the crispy meat.
2. Arrange the lettuce on a dish. Nicely arrange the avocado, bacon, lobster and tomatoes on top (you can do this in rows or in an artful scatter). Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad
Taken from Gwyneth Paltrow: Notes From my Kitchen Table available here on amazon http://www.amazon.co.uk/Notes-Kitchen-Table-Gwyneth-Paltrow/dp/0752227890
2. ʹ21ʹ Endive, Walnut and Blue Cheese Salad
Ingredients:
A head red leaf lettuce, washed and dried
4 large Belgian endive heads, cut lengthwise into julienne strips
A cup shelled walnut halves, toasted at 250 degrees for 15 minutes
A cup shallot and Champagne vinaigrette (see below for recipe)
1 cup chunked Roquefort or other blue cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Garnish: 2 fresh, ripe tomatoes, sliced
Method:
Place several lettuce leaves on four plates. Toss the julienned endive with the toasted walnuts.
Combine the vinaigrette with the cheese, and mix with the endive and toasted walnuts.
Divide among the four plates. Sprinkle 1/2 tablespoon chives on each serving.
Garnish with fresh, ripe tomato slices.
Champagne Vinaigrette (makes 1 quart)
Ingredients:
1 cup shallots (peeled, hand minced)
1/4 cup honey
1 cup Champagne vinegar
1/4 cup Champagne
1 cup canola oil
1 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup *fine herbs (fresh minced chervil, chive, and tarragon, equal amounts)
Salt to taste
Method:
In non‐reactive bowl, add shallots, honey, Champagne vinegar and Champagne.
Mix together and stream in oil while whisking together.
Finish with salt, cayenne and fine herbs. Serve immediately.
*Once herbs are added, this has a 15‐minute shelf life before herbs go bad. So herbs can be added in smaller batches throughout service.
Taken from The ’21’ Club Cookbook available on Amazon here http://www.amazon.com/dp/0385475705
1. 3. Ottolenghi’s Tomato and Pomegranate Salad with Garlic Dressing
Serves four
200g red cherry tomatoes, cut into ½cm dice
200g yellow cherry tomatoes, cut into ½cm dice
200g tiger (or plum) tomatoes, cut into ½cm dice
4 medium vine tomatoes, cut into ½cm dice (500g net)
1 red pepper, cut into ½ cm dice (120g net)
1 small red onion, finely diced (120g net)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
½ tsp ground allspice
2 tsp white wine vinegar
1½ tbsp pomegranate molasses
60ml olive oil, plus a little extra to drizzle at the end
1 pomegranate, seeds removed (170g of seeds)
1 tbsp picked small oregano leaves, to garnish
Salt and black pepper
In a large bowl, mix together the tomatoes, red pepper and onion and set aside.
In a small bowl whisk the garlic, allspice, vinegar, pomegranate molasses, olive oil, and 1/3rd teaspoon of salt, until well combined. Pour this over the tomatoes and gently mix.
Arrange the tomatoes and the juices on a large flat plate. Sprinkle over the pomegranate seeds and oregano and finish with a drizzle of olive oil.
Taken from Ottolenghi http://www.ottolenghi.co.uk/recipes/tomato-and-pomegranate-salad-with-garlic-dressing
