A fleeting salad

Posted by Tania Kindersley.

Sarah and her family have been staying for a few days, so I have had no time for blogging. Am now of course in post-hostess exhaustion, so my brain is not working properly. All I can really think of is food. At the risk of going all G Paltrow on your ass, I am giving you my version of a lovely fresh end of summer salad to say goodbye to the dog days of August.

This is not an Official Salad. I just made it up, from what was in the fridge. I like it because it is crisp and sharp and it looks pretty on the plate.

Take a selection of whatever green leaves you love the most. Add a few sliced radishes, a little diced cucumber, a chopped avocado, and a crumble of feta cheese. A herb is nice: flat leaf parsley, or a little torn basil. Dress with a good grassy olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and some sea salt. And for a final je ne sais quoi, scatter some toasted pine nuts on the top. I know pine nuts are terribly 1990s, but I love them, I can't help it. And I have never understood why food is considered something that goes in and out of fashion. Bring on the coronation chicken and trifle, I say.

This is the kind of salad you can play around with - some sliced heart of palm or artichoke hearts might enhance the experience; you could try manchego instead of feta. My only caveat would be, as with all good salads, do not throw in too many different ingredients, or the whole thing collapses into a mess. I wish you, as always, good eating.