Summer Salads - great ideas for the great weather

Nothing says summer like salad

The Latin word salata (salty) is the linguistic source of the word salad because of the brine that the Romans used to season their salads.

The phrase 'salad days' referring to a time of youthful inexperience was first penned by Shakespeare in 1606 reflecting the 'green' which was the prevailing colour of salads.

Cleopatra (in Anthony and Cleopatra) made a speech regretting her youthful dalliances with Julius Caesar, declaring:

"My salad days, When I was green in judgement, cold in blood...". 

I wonder if that's also the origin of the Stokensian dressing: Stokes Creamy Caesar Dressing.


More sensational salads

Honey Mustard Chicken

You'll need:

• 4 tbsp of runny honey
• 3 tbsp of Stokes Cider & Horseradish Mustard
• 2 tbsp of Stokes Dijon Mustard
• 2 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 tbsp of cider vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, grated
• 4 chicken breasts (boned and skinned)
• 4 rashers of smoked bacon, cooked crisp and diced
• 1 x Romain lettuce
• 8 cherry vine tomatoes
• 1 avocado, peeled and stoned
• 2 tbsp of chopped red onion 

Here's how:

Pre-heat the oven to 220°C/gas mark 7.  Make a marinade by combining the honey, both mustards, oil, vinegar and garlic in a large bowl.

Put the chicken breasts in the marinade and let them soak up the sweet, tangy atmosphere for as long as you can - at least an hour.

Remove the chicken (but please keep the marinade) and roast them in an oiled baking tray for 30 to 35 minutes until brown on the outside and cooked thoroughly throughout with the juices running clear.

Remove and rest the chicken to cool a little then slice them and arrange your salad. Add a little olive oil to the marinade and use it as a dressing.

Your taste buds will thank you long after the dishes have been cleaned and stacked away.

Panzanella Summertime

A panzanella is a chopped Tuscan salad of soaked stale bread and beautiful summer tomatoes.

You'll need:

• 2 stale baguettes, cut into 2 cm cubes
• Olive oil
• 3 tbsp of red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp of honey
• 2 tsp of Stokes Chilli Jam 
• 2 tbsp of Stokes Olive & Balsamic Dressing
• 2 tsp of caraway seeds, ground in a pestle and mortar
• 2 tsp of fennel seeds, ditto
• 1 cucumber, quartered lengthways, seeds cut out, flesh chopped
• 'Lots' of multi-coloured cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 red onion, diced
• 1 clove of garlic, grated
• A handful of basil, roughly torn

Here's how:

Pre-heat the oven on its highest setting.

In a large bowl, mix the olive oil with the ground caraway and fennel seeds, add the bread cubes and coat them well. Add more oil if you need it.

Pop the bread on a baking tray and into the oven for 10 to 15 minutes until crisp and golden - remove and rest to cool.

For the dressing: Mix the Olive & Balsamic Dressing with the vinegar and honey - whisk and season well.

Put the toasted bread, cucumber, tomatoes, chilli jam, onion, basil and garlic in a large bowl, combine and coat well in the dressing. Serve and enjoy.

Vodkamelon Fruit Salad

One for the grown ups, marinating the watermelon in vodka (gin works too) !

Here's how:

You can use whatever you like to accompany the vodkamelon in this dish.

We're using roughly equal amounts of cubed watermelon, strawberries (hulled and halved or quartered according to size), blueberries, raspberries, a few cherries (stones and halved) and blackberries.

Soak the watermelon in vodka or gin in the fridge overnight. Combine your berries with the boozy melon in a large bowl.

Squeeze half a lime over the fruit and a good drizzle of Stokes Raspberry & Balsamic Dressing. Serve with thickly whipped cream.

Thank you summer.

More foodie thoughts for the week:






Sensational Summer BBQ recipes here.











Meat-free burgers and other Summer vegetarian ideas here.










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