Salads
2 avocados, 4 large lettuce leaves, 4 tomatoes,
175 to 200 g or 6 to 7 oz mozarella cheese,
sea salt and black pepper,
6 tabs. olive oil
2 tabs white wine vinegar
1 teas dried oregano.
Cut avocados in half, peel them and remove stones. Lay a lettuce leaf on each plate and put half an avocado on it cut side down.
Run a knife lengthwise down the centre of avocado, then cut it across in slices.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix the oil and vinegar together and dribble over the salad, then scatter a pinch of dried oregano over each plate. Serve as a first course.
175 g or 6 oz dandelion leaves, 100 g or 4 oz or 6 slices bacon,
2 slices bread, 1 clove of garlic, 25 g or 1oz or 2 tab butter,
sea salt and black pepper, 3 tab. olive oil, 1 tab. white wine vinegar.
Wash and dry leaves. If past their youth, cut out centre stalk. Cut leaves into slices and pile them onto a salad bowl.
Cut bacon into strips and fry in frying pan until crisp. Take bacon out of pan. Cut the crusts off the bread, and cut each slice into cubes. peel and crush garlic. Heat butter in bacon fat and fry the bread with garlic until golden brown. Lift the bread cubes out of pan and drain on paper towels.
Season dandelion leaves with salt and pepper, and turn them gently but thoroughly in olive oil and vinegar. Add bacon and croutons and mix again. Serve soon after mixing.
675 g or 1 1/2 lb new or waxy potatoes
4 tab thin or light cream
150 ml or 1/4 pt or 2/3 cup homemade mayonnaise
sea salt and black pepper
3 tab chopped chervil.
175 g or 6 oz new potatoes (cooked and sliced)
2 tab olive oil 175 g or 6 oz or 1 cup sliced zucchini (courgettes),
175 g or 6 oz or 1 1/2 cups string (or snap) beans,
1 bunch spring onions, 1 lettuce
Herb Sauce - 2 hard boiled eggs, 2 tabs thick /heavy cream, 2 tab olive oil, 2 teas white wine vinegar, salt and pepper, 1 tab chopped chives,
1 tab chopped dill, 1 tab. chopped tarragon.
Wash potatoes and boil in skins. Peel while still warm and cut into slices. Pour over 1 tab. olive oil and leave to cool. Cut the washed but unpeeled courgettes (zucchini) into slices. Drop them into saucepan containing little boiling salted water. Cover pan and cook for 12 minutes; drain and sprinkle with 1/2 tab. olive oil.
Cut string beans into pieces. Boil them until tender, drain and sprinkle with 1/2 tab olive oil. Trim spring onions leaving bulbs whole. Break lettuce leaves into pieces and put them in salad bowl. Cover with potatoes, courgettes, string beans, and spring onions.
To make sauce, separate yolks from white of hard-boiledeggs. Chop whites and sprinkle over the salad. Crush yolks and mix to a paste with cream. Stir in 2 tabs. olive oil gradully, then the vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste, and the chopped herbs. Pour over salad and mix well.
Vegetable Salad with Herb Sauce
on on right is
Watercress Salad with Chives
1 bunch watercress, 450g or 1lb tomatoes, 4 Petit Suisse cheese (1/2 cup Philadelphia cream cheese),,
4 tabs. chopped chives, salt and pepper, pinch of sugar,
1/2 teas. mustard, 1 tab white wine vinegar, 1 tab olive oil.
Wash watercress and dry on clean cloth. Pick off tender sprigs of watercress and lay them around the rims of 4 individual plates.
Skin and slice the tomatoes and lay them in centre of watercress.
Unwrap the Petits Suisses and roll each one in the chopped chives. (cut the chilled Philadelphia cheese into quarters and roll each piece in chopped chives). Lay them on top of the tomatoes. Sprinkle all with salt and black pepper.
Make a dressing by mixing together the sugar, mustard, vinegar and oil. Serve the dress separately, or pour over each plate just before serving. This salad can be arranged on 1 large dish if preferred.
revamped 3 January 2004
