On The Side #15 | Summer Sides
What to put on the table right now ... other than tomato salads
An Englishman walks into a greengrocers seeking something other than tomatoes…
There is no punchline.
Rather, this is me relaying how hard I’m finding it to ensure there’s something other than a tomato salad on the table right now.
Barbecue? Tomato salad. Roast chicken? Tomato salad. Poached fish? Tomato salad. Tray bake? Tomato salad. Too hot/tired to cook? Tomato salad.
Okay, I’ll admit. It’s not really a struggle: decent tomatoes at (warm) room temperature, sliced, salted and olive oiled are truly hard to beat.
Some of you may recall this post and the recipes in it from last year:
But I have in recent weeks been feeling a pressing need to inject more variety into my family’s meals.
So I’ve spent a little time forcing myself to add other salads and sides to my summer rotation. Hence walking into the local greengrocers and staring blankly at all of the things that aren’t red, orange or yellow (and round).
The aim has been to think of platters and bowls that are in the same vein as tomato salads (i.e. that suit a wide variety of meals, can be prepared quickly, don’t really need to be cooked, and/or can be assembled in advance and sit on the side until required) except they also need to be fundamentally different, bringing alternative flavours and textures to the table. Not least because, let’s be honest, there’ll probably still be some tomatoes nearby.
I’ve trialled a few and have ended up with three successful dishes that I plan to keep making throughout this summer and beyond; they’re genuinely useful.
Each of them is a tiny step beyond the most basic tomato salad (also beyond a shaved fennel salad (salt, lemon juice, tarragon or dill); ribboned courgettes (salt, lemon, basil or mint); or coarsely grated carrots (salt, sugar, lemon juice or sherry vinegar) - all great). But not much.
And so I propose the following:
A kohlrabi, broccoli and apple slaw — where crunchy, earthy kohlrabi and bright, slightly sour apples are mandolined, matchsticked and mingled with broccoli niblets, a lemon, honey and mustard dressing, plus some mixed seeds for crunch. It’s vibrant, refreshing, lasts really well in the fridge (if you don’t eat it all at once) and works with any meat.
Minted green beans and peas — where the beans have been cooked to just beyond al dente, then chilled and dressed, moreishly, with pops of sweet (uncooked) peas. An absolute winner and, again, I can’t think of many things this doesn’t match.
And a cucumber, cantaloupe and coriander platter — with a coriander, sesame and lime dressing, plus soy sauce seeds for crunch and to enhance this side’s savoury potential. Great with pork chops, sausages, chicken, cold platters of cured meats and/or soft cheeses.
Tuck in…
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This Week’s Recipes
Kohlrabi, broccoli and apple slaw
