Four Simple Salads for Christmas

It is only 10 days to go and we are all planning the meal for our Xmas day. Turkey, ham, seafood and do we do hot or cold? A lot of Australians choose to have a cold meal if they eat during the day, slightly more relaxed because of the hot weather. When I say cold, meats just out of the oven at room temp and served with salads instead of hot vegetables.
There are so many beautiful fruits in season at the moment and of course a wide array of vegetables.
You don't have to go without either and can combine the two into salads, or perhaps we should say accompaniments to the main meal. Those who love their vegetables won't miss out. Give them a gorgeous dressing, which can be made well ahead.
I will endeavour to put up some more salads in the coming days !


Potato and Blue Cheese Salad

Small baby chat potatoes perhaps a kilo or just work out at least 2 per person, cut in half
8 bacon slices
1 cup crumbled blue cheese your favourite or a good Roquefort
2/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
2 tablespoons chopped chives
1 tablespoon seeded mustard
2 teaspoons honey
1/2 cup sour cream

 Cook potatoes in boiling in salted water until just tender. Drain and cut in half. this can be done the day before and kept in the fridge.
Whisk oil, vinegar, shallots and parsley, mustard, sour cream and honey together and season with salt and pepper.
Add the dressing to the warm potato.
Chop the bacon into small pieces or cook whole until crisp, drain and crumble.
Mound the potato onto your serving platter and scatter with bacon, blue cheese and chopped chives



Nectarine and Feta Salad

1 pkt Baby spinach leaves
250 grams soft feta cheese
2 nectarines
slivered toasted almonds
black sea salt or if unable to find use black sesame seeds
1 tablespoon honey
Rylstone olive oil

Mix the honey and olive oil in a jar and set aside.
Wash and cut the nectarines into quarters and then again into eights
Simply break off the feta into largish chunks
Toss the lot onto your serving plate, sprinkle with the slivered almonds and black sea salt and drizzle over the dressing at serving time. Easy…….

Tomato, Asparagus and Cress Salad with Haloumi

 2 bunches fresh asparagus steamed
150 grams fried haloumi
1/2  Red onion finely sliced
Salad greens and 1/2 bunch watercress
3-4 chopped tomatoes
white balsamic condiment
Fresh sea salt 
Rylstone olive oil

After steaming the asparagus, cut into 2 or 3 pieces. Fry the haloumi in a little olive oil and drain on paper towel. Put the asparagus onion and tomatoes in a bowl and toss with white balsamic condiment.
Arrange this on a mix of salad greens and cress and scatter the fried haloumi on top. Drizzle with olive oil and sea salt.

 Caramelised Sweet Potato and Fig Salad

 4 small sweet potatoes cut into wedges and roasted
75 grams toasted pine nuts
baby spinach and rocket mix salad  ( you can buy these leaves already packaged )
1/2 bunch watercress
4 ripe figs, cut into eighths
100 grams shaved parmesan cheese
Balsamic glaze
brown sugar

Toss the sweet potato pieces in the oil and balsamic glaze in a plastic bag.
Place into a roasting pan and sprinkle with brown sugar. Roast until just tender turning over during cooking time. Set aside to cool.
Put the cut figs into a bowl and sprinkle with olive oil and cracked pepper.
Place the salad greens and cress onto a serving platter and top with the sweet potato and cut figs.
Scatter with the toasted pine nuts and shaved parmesan and drizzle all with balsamic glaze and a little olive oil.

All of these can be increased in quantity, for a big crowd.