I wasn't sure about just writing of a little salad that I made all on its own, but I feel that it deserves it's own post. Partly because I made it to be eaten for lunch as a whole meal on its own, and partly because this is a salad that would make a great addition to any meal. The thing is, that it's also spectacularly beautiful. The colours just sing of summer. The ingredients are perfectly matched... bitter, salty, sour, sweet and creamy. A plate of heavenly bliss. I'm never sure that salads can really have recipes, unless for some reason the quantities have to exact (still not convinced). I think salads are a collection of textures and flavours that can be constructed in any way. After years of paring down my salads from containing everything in the fridge, I now make simple salads with few ingredients that compliment each other distinctively.
This salad is made with whole leaves of ruby gem lettuce, which can be used like spoons or wraps to be filled up with the other ingredients. They are also perfectly bitter and crunchy. I found beautiful heirloom plum tomatoes with the most incredible colour, sweet and not too sour. I took a courgette, sliced it thinly lengthways and grilled the slices on a hot pan with no grease. Once coloured evenly and lightly cooked through, they added a lovely dimension of creaminess. Pieces of salty feta sprinkled with nigella seeds provided the final gilding. I made a mustard dressing (see here for recipe) for a little heat and we happily munched it away. Perfect for lunch served with a fresh baguette and a glass of cold white wine.
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