We play around with all sort of ingredients in our salads, and this autumn we’ve had beautiful watermelon radishes to include too, as well as the most more-ish spicy croutons.
Fresh from the garden: lettuce and salad leaves, tomatoes, radishes, flowers, herbs, lemon
Recipe source: Melissa
Serves: 6 or 24 tastes
Equipment:
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Ingredients:
For the croutons
For the salad
Herby vinaigrette dressing
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What to do:
- For the croutons: Preheat the oven to 200C. Gently melt the butter in the small saucepan.
- Carefully cut the bread into slices and then into cubes.
- Combine the melted butter and tablespoon of olive oil in a large bowl. Add the cubes of bread, and toss until coated. Sprinkle with salt, cayenne pepper, and black pepper, toss until evenly coated. Spread the bread in a single layer on a baking paper-lined sheet. Bake until croutons are golden for about 10 minutes.
- For the salad: Fill up 2 big bowls with cold water & wash the salad leaves in several changes of water. Spin dry and wipe the bowls dry. Lay out the tea towel and line it with paper towel. Spread the salad leaves over the paper and roll the whole lot up like a log. Keep the rolled parcel of leaves in the fridge until needed.
- Fill up the medium bowl with water and wash the herbs and small garnishing leaves & flowers. Dry on a piece of paper towel and reserve in a small bowl. Wash and drain the radishes, tomatoes and spring onions (peeling outer layer) & slice into small pieces.
- For the vinaigrette: Peel the garlic clove and put it in the mortar with a large pinch of salt. Pound to a paste. Juice the lemon and add the juice to the mortar (without pips) then stir the lot with a teaspoon and scrape it into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the oil and grind some pepper, then whisk the dressing lightly. Wash and pat the herb sprigs dry and pick off the leaves, and add to the dressing.
- To finish: Unwrap the parcel of salad leaves & tip them into the bowl with the dressing. Gently turn the leaves in the dressing using your hands or tongs, and then transfer the dressed leaves to the serving bowls. Place the tomatoes, radishes & spring onion in the dressing and then add to the salad with garnishing flowers & leaves. Serve immediately with croutons scattered on top.
