Open the fridge and find summer salad inspiration

I do enjoy leftover meals. By this I don’t mean reheating last week’s pasta, but using the ingredients “leftover” in the fridge.

Some of my favourite examples of this are preparing soups and casseroles during winter.

But with a little thinking outside the square, salads at this time of the year can also fit the category.

Come to think of it, what actually is a salad? the dictionary definition is “a cold dish of various mixtures of raw or cooked vegetables, usually seasoned with oil, vinegar, or other dressing and sometimes accompanied by meat, fish or other ingredients.

That could mean just about anything, particularly when I consider warm salads are just as delicious and important as cold salads. In fact, I will often take ingredients from the fridge for a cold salad and let them come to room temperature, The Flavour tends to be more distinct if the food is not too cold.

I tend to make salads with three different dressings. The one I use most is a French dressing made with Dijon mustard, extra virgin olive oil; red or white wine vinegar, a squeeze of lemon and salt.

Whenever I am dressing leaves (lettuce, rocket, mesclun, witlof, spinach etc.) this is my go to dressing.

The second dressing I use is a mayonnaise. Homemade or whole egg from a food store, the dressing is ideal for potato, tuna, corn, olives, apples (the list goes on).

Always err on the side of less rather than more mayonnaise, as it can dominate if you are not careful.

The third dressing I use is even more simple; the oil from a jar of Meredith goat’s chees mixed with the cheese itself.

When drizzled on warm vegetables of almost any kind with the addition of a protein and you have yourself a meal.

Last night I had some leftover roast chicken, avocado, corn, olives, asparagus, lettuce and tomato.

In a mixing bowl I added chopped tomato, avocado and salt. To some boiling water I added the corn and asparagus.

When cooked, I cut the corn away from the cob into the bowl and added the asparagus while still warm.

Then I drizzled a couple of squares of goats’ cheese and some of the oil onto the warm vegetables. Finally, I added the chicken, olives and tossed.

Following is a classic potato salad recipe from Justine Schofield whose recipes are simple and fresh.

I never peel potatoes for a salad and feel free to add or take away ingredients, depending on what is in your fridge or garden at the time.