WE HAVE been blessed with some spectacular weather recently and while I am the first to extol the virtues of pies and roasts, when the sun is shining and we are almost uncomfortably hot, we need something light and fresh and easy to enjoy of an evening or for lunch.
This week’s recipes are two very light and delicious salads. With ingredients that many of us will have in the fridge or larder, or fruit bowl, the citrus salad especially could be rustled up in minutes.
Of course, if you happen to be missing any of these ingredients, don’t forget to support all our local suppliers and producers. While we may not have orange trees growing on street corners, the fantastic markets and independent retailers will still have some of the freshest produce on their shelves so keep lovin’ local.
Fingers crossed that the weather now keeps up for the next few months and these salads will come in useful!
FENNEL, RADISH, CITRUS SALAD
1 Fennel bulb
8 Radishes
Small handful picked coriander
3 spring onions
1 orange
2 lemons
1 Granny Smith apple
200 grams sugar
1-pint water
Dressing:
100 ml Rapeseed oil
2 Lemons juiced
2 tsp. mustard
2 tsp. sugar
Salt and pepper
For the salad, thinly slice the fennel and radish and place in a bowl. Put the lemon in a pan with the sugar and water and boil until tender, then place in a blender and blitz. Segment the Orange, cut the apples into batons, slice the spring onions thinly combine all of this with the fennel and radish, then take all the ingredients for the dressing mix them together using a hand blender. Dress your salad with the dressing and serve.
COD WITH POTATO SALAD
4 pieces of cod fillet, aprox. 220g each
2 tsp flour
750g new potatoes, skin on
3 tblsp red wine vinegar
1 tblsp capers
2 tblsp flat leaf parsley, chopped finely
1 small red onion, finely sliced
Start by boiling the potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain from the water and cut into thick slices. For the dressing, mix the capers, red wine vinegar, oil and the flat leaf parsley together. Season with salt and pepper and then add in the red onion and mix well. Pour half of the dressing over the potatoes. Leave to the side until the cod is cooked.
For the cod, dust with flour and season with salt and pepper. In a non-stick pan add a dash of olive oil and sear the cod one side at a time, approximately 4 minutes per side. To serve, place the potato salad on the bottom of the plate and place the cod on top; drizzle over the remaining dressing and serve.
