Crisp leaves in variegated greens, the crunchiness of rosy radishes, the sharpness of olives, the tang of crushed sea salt, a splash of wine vinegar or a dash of tart lemon, the smoothness of a fruity olive oil. Textures, tastes and colours for salads and dressings Showcook has the cool answer for a warm summery day.

THE MAKING OF GREAT SALADS

1. Wash hands thoroughly and dry on clean paper towels.

2. Use a razor sharp knife and a large chopping board. 

3. Clean and clear from surfaces as you slice and dice. 

4. Slice tomatoes and fruits carefully and neatly. It is important for a salad to look untouched even when prepared chunky style and simple.

5. Make your own dressings and keep them uncomplicated. For the most part use olive oil, a good wine or apple cider vinegar, soft crunchy sea salt and fresh herbs. It is never a good idea to add sugar to dressings rather add a faint sprinkling to the spun dried lettuce before refrigerating the completed salad. 

6. Of course you can use a rich smooth mayonnaise, pungent with garlic or even dollops of plain chilled yoghurt blended with a spoonful of cream and a dash of olive oil. To liven up a salad dressing use blended anchovies. To colour mayonnaise a brilliant green use blanched and refreshed watercress or parsley (superb with a well dressed tomato salad).

7. Don't hesitate to use well crumbled feta, fine slices of Pecorino, crumbled soft blue cheese, slices of goats milk cheese (Chèvre), fine slices of crisped thin chipped beef (fried in a trace of vegetable oil) or grilled streaky bacon (with spinach), crisp apple matchsticks or radishes (wonderful with finely sliced red onions), glossy red grapes, the thinnest shreds of red and green cabbage and remember nuts; toasted almonds, cashews as well as sunflower seeds all add their delicious crunch.

8. There are two big no-no's! a) lukewarm salad left to stand on a table until it is served b) limp salad that has been dressed too early! c) serving salad on side plates - only the table benefits! 

9. Do cover your salad with wax paper lightly and refrigerate until ready to serve.

10. Dress only at the last possible moment and toss lightly but thoroughly before serving.

11. Do use large plates or deep, wide-brimmed soup plates or capacious deep bowls.

TOMATOES WITH ANCHOVIES & BASIL
8 ripe tomatoes
6-8 thin slices ricotta cheese
1 tbsp white sugar
4 spring onions
1 sprig fresh basil (or1/4 tsp dried)
8 anchovies, drained and rinsed
4 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
6 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
12 black olives
(Serves 4-6)
Slice tomatoes thinly using a very sharp knife. Place ricotta slices at intervals on a flat dish cover with sliced tomatoes and sprinkle with sugar. Wash, peel and thinly slice spring onions. Scatter over tomatoes. Fresh basil leaves and sprinkle over salad. (If this is not available, include dried basil in the dressing.) Mix anchovies, vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and black pepper in a blender or use an electric hand mixer. Blend until smooth and creamy, drizzle over tomatoes and scatter with black olives fresh basil leaves.

SUMMER SHRIMP SALAD WITH A CREAMY DRESSING
300 g pillow pack mixed young leaves, well chilled
300 g young spinach, well chilled
1 small Cos lettuce, well chilled
200 g shrimp
sea salt for sprinkling
12 young green asparagus
1 tsp sugar
½ slender English cucumber, peeled, seeded and sliced into crescents
125 ml plain yoghurt
30 ml olive oil
1 tsp mustard powder
sea salt and milled black pepper
30 ml cream
2 eggs, hardboiled, sliced
12 chives, finely snipped
1 French bread, sliced horizontally and quartered
30 ml olive oil
(Serves 6) 
Rinse shrimp with cold water and place in a steamer or a colander over a little boiling water, steam for 2 minutes. Remove and sprinkle with a little sea salt and fresh dill. Cool before adding to salad. Rinse and trim green asparagus. Steam for about 5-8 minutes. Take a large chilled platter, add groups of leaves. Sprinkle with a little sugar. Add cucumber crescents, shrimp and asparagus. Blend yoghurt, olive oil, mustard powder and cream together. Reserve dressing. Brush French bread with olive oil and sea salt and lightly toast under a grill. To serve, place one toasted baguette quarter diagonally on each plate. Heap salad over the top. Sprinkle with dressing, hard boiled eggs and chives. Serve immediately. 

THREE MUSHROOM SALAD
250 g white mushrooms
250 g black mushrooms
250 g oyster mushrooms
30 ml (2 tbsp) lemon juice
4 medium-sized boiled potatoes, freshly cooked and sliced
5 ml (1 tsp) mustard powder
30 ml (2 tbsp) red wine vinegar
125 ml (1/2 cup) olive oil
1 bunch fine chives
1 bunch watercress, well washed and trimmed
45 ml (3 tbsp) toasted sunflower seeds
45 ml (3 tbsp) homemade mayonnaise
(Serves 4-6)
Wipe mushrooms with a damp cloth. Slice ends off each stem and cut into thick slices vertically. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Layer mushrooms and room temperature potatoes in a salad bowl.  Blend mustard powder, red wine vinegar and olive oil together until creamy. Pour over the salad and sprinkle with chives, watercress sprigs, toasted sunflower seeds over salad. Add dollops of mayonnaise to the completed salad.
SALAD MAKER'S NOTE: To make a good mushroom salad see that the mushrooms are fresh and pristine. To peel black and white mushrooms, lift the skin directly from the rim of the cap and peel back in sections to see to reveal firm white flesh. 

CRISP DUCK & ORANGE SALAD
2 kg duck, roasted
6 oranges
4 stalks celery, thinly sliced
250 ml orange juice
1 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp olive or salad oil
2 tsp soft sea salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper mixed with roasted coriander (optional)
3 tsp capers 
about 2 tsp chopped parsley
12 black olives, stoned
1 bunch watercress, well rinsed and trimmed
2 tbsp chopped spring onion
2 tbsp roasted whole almonds, skinned
(Serves 4)
Slice duck neatly cutting across each breast into strips. Peel oranges, removing all the pith and slice between the membranes into wedges. Mix together orange juice, lemon juice and oil, add salt, pepper, capers and parsley. Layer duck with oranges, stoned olives, celery and watercress sprigs. Sprinkle over chopped spring onion and almonds. Just before serving, pour orange juice dressing over the duck. Serve with slices of well seasoned, piping hot boiled potatoes dressed with parsley and a little olive oil. 

CREAMY MANGE-TOUT & BEETROOT SALAD 
300 g bag mixed salad leaves
1 tsp sugar
125 g mange-tout, blanched and refreshed
250 g white mushrooms, thickly sliced
4 cooked beetroot, chilled and sliced
2 tbsp toasted sunflower seeds
12 black olives
1 hard boiled egg, finely chopped
YOGHURT VINAIGRETTE
125 ml plain yoghurt
2 tbsp cream
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp mustard powder
1 clove garlic, crushed
sea salt and freshly milled black pepper, to taste
(Serves 6)
Arrange salad leaves, sprinkle with sugar. Then add remaining ingredients (except for sunflower seeds and egg in a bowl. Whisk vinaigrette ingredients. Toss salad with dressing and sprinkle with hard boiled egg and sunflower seeds. Toss gently just before serving.

GREEN BEAN, STREAKY BACON & POTATO SALAD
500 g cooked green beans, blanched and refreshed
8 slices grilled streaky bacon
4 large freshly boiled potatoes, room temperature
1 red onion, quartered and finely sliced
1 bunch spring onions, finely sliced
4 tbsp cashew nuts, roasted
2 tbsp chopped parsley
8 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp mustard powder
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp sea salt
¼ tsp freshly milled black pepper
(Serves 4-6)
Place beans in a bowl. Slice potatoes and mix lightly with beans and bacon. Sprinkle with red onion, spring onions, cashew nuts and parsley. Whisk olive oil and mustard powder add lemon juice and vinegar in a bowl, whisk until creamy. Add salt and freshly milled black pepper, whisk thoroughly and pour over salad.

FRUITED CABBAGE 
1/2  medium-size green cabbage
1/4  medium-size red cabbage
½ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 medium-sized sweet melon, cubed
1 pineapple, cubed
3 yellow cling peaches, sliced
4 tbsp seedless raisins
3 tbsp large peanuts 
250 ml thick mayonnaise, homemade when possible
4 tbsp cream
2 tbsp chopped parsley
(Serves 4-6 )
Wash, dry and shred cabbage. Place in a wooden salad bowl and add salt and pepper. Add fruit to cabbage and sprinkle with raisins and nuts. Blend mayonnaise with cream, pour over salad and mix gently. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.
SALAD MAKER'S NOTE: You can eliminate mayonnaise and replace with plain yoghurt. If you do add 1 tbsp olive oil, sea salt and freshly milled black pepper to flavour plus cream (optional).

MAYONNAISE
Blend 2 extra large egg yolks with 1 tbsp wine vinegar, 1 tsp mustard powder, 1 garlic clove, crushed, 1 tsp sea salt and freshly milled black pepper. Add 2 tbsp vegetable oil, drop by drop. Then add 4 tbsp olive oil in a steady stream then 250 ml vegetable oil, beating constantly. When thickened, check seasonings. If you need to thin a mayonnaise add a dash of vinegar or milk. Store in a tightly closed glass jar, in a refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.