Jamie Olivers Tarragon Grape Salad Recipes

WATERCRESS, ROCKET, SWEET PEAR, WALNUT AND PARMESAN SALAD

Steps:

• What a pukka combination, simple and classy. Don't try to make this when you feel like it, make it when you can buy perfect pears, otherwise it will taste naff. For 1 person I normally use around 1/2 a pear, 2 big handfuls of watercress and 2 big handfuls of rocket. If the pear skins are nice I just give them a wash, if not I remove them with a peeler. Then cut them in 1/2 and deseed. It doesn't really matter how you cut them up. Sometimes in big rough chunks, maybe sliced up or even grated. Then place into a bowl with the watercress and rocket. The pepperiness of the leaves works so well with the sweetness of the pear. Drizzle with good extra-virgin olive oil just to coat, a small squeeze of lemon juice (because the pear juice is slightly acidic but very tasty), and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toss all this together and serve. Shave over Parmesan or pecornio, crumble your nuts over and tuck in. I love this salad with roasted meat or as a starter on its own.

THE MOTHERSHIP TOMATO SALAD

Steps:

• This is an incredible tomato salad but there are two things to remember if you want to wow your guests with something so simple. The first is that you should try to get a mixture of different, tasty, local (if possible) tomatoes in all different shapes, sizes and colors. Second, the flavor is brought out by salting the tomatoes, so don't skip this bit. Some people get worried about putting this much salt on their food, but the bulk of it will drip off, leaving you with really beautiful, intensely flavored tomatoes.
• If you can get hold of some dried flowering oregano then do, as it has the most heavenly flavor. Feel free to use the dried stuff that you get in a little container, but it can taste a bit like sawdust when compared to the fruity, fragrant flavor you get from the flowering variety. Oregano is also great to grow in the garden.
• Depending on the size of your tomatoes, slice some in half, some into quarters and others into uneven chunks. Straightaway this will give you the beginnings of a tomato salad that's really brave and exciting to look at and eat. Put the tomatoes into a colander and season with a good pinch of sea salt.
• Give them a toss, season again and give a couple more tosses. The salt won't be drawn into the tomatoes; instead it will draw any excess moisture out, concentrating all the lovely flavors. Leave the tomatoes in the colander on top of a bowl to stand for around 15 minutes, then discard any juice that has come out of them.
• Transfer the tomatoes to a large bowl and sprinkle over the oregano. Make a dressing using 1 part vinegar to 3 parts oil, the garlic and the chile. Drizzle the tomatoes with enough dressing to coat everything nicely.
• This is a fantastic tomato salad, which is totally delicious to eat on its own. It's also great served with some balls of mozzarella or some nice, grilled ciabatta bread.
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WALDORF SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Place the grapes on a baking tray, finely grate over the zest from ½ the lemon, drizzle with a little oil and season with sea salt and black pepper.
• Place in the hot oven for 15 minutes, then add the walnuts and roast for a further 5 to 10 minutes, or until the grapes are soft and caramelised and the walnuts are golden.
• Meanwhile, make the dressing. Place the mustard and yoghurt into a bowl and whisk well. Pick, finely chop and add the tarragon leaves, squeeze in the lemon juice and mix well, then season to taste.
• Trim and chop the celery into 1cm chunks, slice the apple into large matchsticks, then place into a large bowl. Discard the tatty outer lettuce leaves, then roughly chop and add to the bowl. Pick the grapes off their stalks and add to the bowl. Drizzle over the yoghurt dressing and toss well. Place onto a platter, roughly chop and sprinkle over the walnuts, then serve.

GREEN SALAD

Steps:

• So, to make the salad, get yourself a round lettuce, such as Boston or Bibb, and remove each leaf from the core. Wash them in plenty of cold water. Spin dry or blot with paper towels and pile them into a bowl. Make a basic dressing by mixing together 3 parts extra-virgin olive oil, 1 part lemon juice, a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle the dressing over the leaves and use the tips of your fingers to gently mix the salad together. Be careful not to overdress it, though, or your leaves will go limp! That's it, your basic green salad.

TARRAGON SALAD DRESSING

Steps:

• In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the first 9 ingredients; shake well. Serve over salad greens.