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1. They are full of salad nutrition that our body needs for it’s well being and health. Much nutrition is lost through cooking food.
2. They are easily transportable, being normally served cold they can be packed into containers with lids without spoiling, especially if the dressing is added when ready to eat. They are just as at home in the lunch box as a sandwich.
3. They are great for any type of meal, whether a light lunch or as a filling main course at dinner. They can even be one of the courses in their own right. A prawn cocktail is a good example of this.
4. They bring balance to the meal by providing a refreshing accompaniment to just about anything. A light salad brings great balance to a heavier dish (such as pasta).
5. You can add almost anything to a salad (from pulses and meat to fruit and vegetables), making it an incredibly adaptable dish that can easily be served to vegetarians or those on special diets. Even adding a salad dressing is an option and again there are many different types to suit the salad and the eater. They don’t have to be high in calories either, but many would say that a salad isn’t complete without a dressing to make it come alive!
6. They can be served cool and crisp in the Summer or warm and filling in the Winter. No-one wants to be slaving over a hot stove in the heat of the Summer and yet even the right type of salad can provide comfort food in the Winter.
7. A salad is a great convenience food that will quickly provide a nutritious meal, unlike many other convenience foods. It can be quickly put together and served in time for the hungriest of diners and you don’t have to be an expert cook either!
8. It provides a great way to use local, home-grown produce from the garden or local allotment, making it especially economical in the Summer. There is nothing more satisfying than preparing salad ingredients that have only just been picked and not having to worry about the shelf life or sell-by-date. The addition of slugs or mud are a small price to pay for these other advantages.
9. It lends itself to creativity with an ample provision of shapes and colours which even the novice can turn into a masterpiece. It can make an attractive centrepiece to any party table.
10. Salads are packed full of taste, especially when they haven’t been cooked. The cooking process destroys a lot of the flavour in food.

• A classic salad with an egg yolk dressing, this must be made using cos lettuce.

Serves Four

Ingredients:

• 1 garlic clove crushed, 60-75 ml olive oil, 75gm stale white bread cut into cubes, 1 cos lettuce, 8 anchovies chopped and 40gm shavings of Parmesan cheese.
• For the dressing: 2 egg yolks, 2.5 ml French mustard, 50 ml olive oil, 50 ml sunflower oil, 15 ml white wine vinegar and a pinch of salt.

Cooking Method:

• Place the garlic in the oil and set aside for about 30 minutes for the garlic flavor to infuse into the oil.
• To make the dressing, place the egg yolks, French mustard, olive oil, sunflower oil, vinegar and salt in a screw-top jar and shake well.
• To make the croutons, strain the garlic oil into a frying pan and discard the garlic. When hot, fry the bread until golden and then drain on kitchen paper.
• Arrange the lettuce leaves in a salad bowl. Pour over the dressing and gently fold in he anchovies and croutons. Scatter with Parmesan shavings.

Serves Four

Ingredients:

• A selection of fresh and salad leaves, 4 spring onions finely sliced, 15 ml roughly chopped flat leaf parsley, 115 gm unsmoked streaky bacon copped, 450 gm chicken livers, seasoned plain flour for dusting, 15 ml sunflower oil, 25 gm butter or margarine, salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• For the dressing – 100 ml sunflower oil, 30-45 ml lemon juice, 5 ml French mustard, 1 small garlic clove, crushed salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Cooking Method:

• To make the dressing, place the oil, lemon juice, mustard, garlic and seasoning in a screw-top jar and shake vigorously to mix.
• Place the salad leaves in a large bowl with the spring onions and parsley. Pour over the dressing, toss briefly and then arrange on four individual serving plates.



• Dry-fry the bacon in a frying pan until it becomes golden brown. Transfer to a plate using a slotted spoon and keep warm.
• Trim the chicken livers, pat dry on kitchen paper and then dust them thoroughly with the seasoned flour.
• Heat the oil and butter in a frying pan and fry the livers over a fairly high heat for about 8 minutes, turning occasionally until cooked to your preference, either cooked through or slightly pink inside.
• Arrange the chicken livers on the salad leaves and scatter the crisp bacon pieces over the top.