Five ways with...Salad leaves

Published on Friday 29 May 2009 17:28

SALAD LEAVES come in a mind-boggling range of varieties. Easy to propagate, they are fast-growing, inexpensive and yield several harvests throughout the warmer months. Seed suppliers combine popular mixes which include lettuces such as Romaine, oak leaf, frisee and lamb's lettuce, herbs, mustard leaves, spinach, chards, watercress, rocket and tatsoi to name just a few. These varieties are often used in supermarket pre-washed bagged salads.

1 Classic French salad 250g lettuce leaves from as wide a variety as you can find; 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced; 100g mange-tout, sliced in 3; 100g fine asparagus, cut into 1cm bits; 1 tbsp sunflower seeds; 1 tbsp whole hazelnuts; fresh herbs, as many different types as you have

Carefully wash the leaves and tear into bite-sized pieces. In a large bowl combine with the other ingredients. Just before serving, drizzle with French dressing and toss lightly (best done with clean hands) and serve making sure everybody gets a share of all the ingredients. For the dressing: In a clean jar with a screw-top lid measure: 225ml olive oil, 75ml walnut oil, 75ml white wine vinegar, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp Dijon mustard. Screw on the lid and shake vigorously. Store any left over in the fridge.

2 Salad leaf soup 50g butter; 1 onion, peeled and sliced; 1 potato, peeled, diced; 250g mixed salad leaves; 400ml water

Sweat the onion in the butter for five minutes, till very soft but not coloured. Add the potato and 100ml of water and simmer for ten minutes, until the potato is soft. Add the salad leaves and the remaining water and cook for a further five minutes. Liquidise till smooth and season. Serve hot or chilled. Garnish with flavoured olive oil.

3 Ham and eggs salad 225g ciabatta bread; 1 tbsp olive oil; 4 slices of trimmed Parma ham; 200g crispy salad leaves; 2 eggs; French dressing

Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6. Break the bread into chunks and place in a roasting tin. Add the olive oil, toss well and roast for five minutes. Tear the ham into bite-sized pieces and add to the tin with the bread. Bake for a further five minutes or until the bread and ham are crisp. Set aside. Meanwhile, bring a frying pan of water to the boil. Carefully crack the eggs, then drop them into the simmering water. Reduce the heat and simmer for two to three minutes. Using a slotted spoon transfer the eggs to a bowl of cold water and leave for one minute. Toss together the bread, ham and leaves, then divide between two plates. Drizzle over the dressing. Place a poached egg on top of each salad and serve.

4 Pear and rocket salad 1 pear, diced; 100g rocket; 100g salad leaves; 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 tbsp lemon juice; salt and freshly ground black pepper; handful pine nuts; shavings of Parmesan cheese

Combine the pear, rocket and leaves in a bowl. Shake the olive oil, lemon juice salt and pepper in a screw top jar (lid on). Drizzle the dressing over the salad and scatter the cheese and nuts over the top.

5 Spicy cucumber and leaf salad 1 cucumber; 1 tbsp sesame oil; 1/2 tsp green chilli, finely diced; juice from 1/2 orange, juiced; sea salt; 200g salad leaves, washed and drained; 2 tbsp mint, roughly chopped; 2 tbsp coriander roughly chopped

Peel the cucumber, cut in half lengthways, remove and discard the seeds with a spoon. Slice each half into centimetre-thick half moons and set aside. In a small pan, heat the oil and add the fresh chillies. Swirl to toast for 30 seconds and then quickly pour over the cucumbers. Add a splash of orange juice, then the salt and toss. Allow to rest before adding the leaves. Mound this in a deep bowl and sprinkle with the fresh mint and coriander.