SALAD DAYS
Christmas in Australia cries salad out loud - even if we are lying down when we say it - so we’ve come up with two salads for you for Christmas this year.
The first, we’re having fun with: Tomato a Gogo.
Who doesn’t want a tomato salad at Christmastime? This salad is red and green, orange and yellow. It’s a party salad. It has a kind of Asian dressing with sesame, because we’re kind of in Asia, and it includes slices of poached lemon, which definitely add zing. Tomato A Gogo could be a mix you haven’t tried yet, but we’re certain you’ll love it.
The second salad, a crisp green Savoy Salad, sounds rather serious.
But while it’s also delicious, there is some serious intent behind it.
The idea is that, unlike lettuce leaves, which, if you dress them and turn around they wilt, the leaves of the savoy cabbage can be shredded, even a day before you need them. (Store in the fridge, well-covered.)
They can then be doused in dressing for several hours, and they’ll only get better and better.
Savoy Salad, ready to toss at the last minute, is totally on your side when you’re busy welcoming guests and struggling with a turkey, a family wrangle, or a child with a flat battery.
Ah Christmas… bring it on, with some nice cool salads.
Caren and Jan
TOMATO A GOGO
Serves 10 as part of a meal
1 small lemon
50 gm sugar
300 ml water
750 gm tomatoes, of various sizes and colours
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
4 spring onions, sliced
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons white sesame seeds
2 teaspoons black sesame seeds
3 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
Salt and pepper to taste
Wash, dry and slice the lemon. Discard the end slices and seeds.
In a medium saucepan dissolve the sugar in the water. Add the lemon slices and simmer for 30 minutes or until the slices are translucent. Remove the slices from the syrup and allow to cool on a plate before roughly chopping.
Slice and cut the tomatoes according to their size and arrange on a serving platter. Dress with the salt and vinegar.
Combine spring onions and lemon pieces in a heatproof bowl.
Heat the 2 oils and sesame seeds in a small frying pan. When the white seeds begin to colour remove from the heat and immediately pour over the mixture in the bowl. Be careful as it will spit. Fold in the coriander.
Spoon the mixture over the tomatoes and season with more salt and pepper to taste.
SAVOY SALAD
Serves 10 as part of a meal
150 gm green beans
50 ml white balsamic vinegar
140 ml extra virgin olive oil
4 golden shallots, thinly sliced
1/4 savoy cabbage, finely shredded
1 cup continental parsley leaves, firmly
packed
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper,
to taste
1/2 cup mint leaves
1/2 cup dill sprigs
1 cup watercress sprigs, thick stems
removed
3 radishes, finely sliced into slivers
Blanch beans and refresh in iced water, cut into bite-sized pieces then slice lengthwise. Set aside.
Whisk olive oil and vinegar together to emulsify. Place sliced shallots in a large bowl and cover with dressing, stirring to coat. Allow to macerate. (This can even be done the day before.)
An hour or two before serving add cabbage and parsley to the shallots and dressing and mix well. Season to taste.
At the last minute add beans, mint, dill, watercress and radish. Toss together well to coat with the dressing.