As I struggle with my trans-seasonal wardrobe, wearing shorts while taking an umbrella to work, I think back to the string of heady summer scorchers we endured. The horror of those nights of tossing and turning in the heat. Waking drained and just dying for something to revive you, wake and shake you into facing the world again.
This salad does it. Zaps your system. The best part is it can be made the night before, and is best left to spend time marinating in it’s juice. A kind of chunky, deconstructed gazpacho-ish dish. A splash of Tabasco and it’s as good as a Bloody Mary for breakfast, and won’t get you fired.
Before you begin, wash all the vegies in a bowl of cold water.
Then, as best as you can manage, as large or as micro as you like, dice up
1 cucumber, skin and all
1 red capsicum, deseeded
4 fully ripe tomatoes, of any variety, seeds and all
2 sticks of celery, leaves as well
3 stems of spring onion, or ¼ red onion, or chives to make ¼ cup
Have a large bowl handy. As you are cutting, any juices must be caught and kept, as part of the salad. Tip all the chopped ingredients into the bowl, season with salt and pepper and drizzle a splash of olive oil over the top. Cover and allow to sit for a bit or overnight in the fridge.
Before eating, give it a good toss so the juices stir through the salad and become like dressing. Taste and add more oil or some sherry vinegar if it needs a bit more zip. Tabasco is optional here as well.
On it’s own it’s a great salad. On those days after a hot night, probably enough. But if you are looking to anchor it with something a bit substantial, the obvious choice here is avocado. Any leftover smoky baba ganoush, or the tahini yoghurt dressing will add another dimension to this salad. Be wary of adding in stuff that messes too much with the simplicity. It does not need nuts, cheese, olives or slices of chicken or bacon. That’s not what this salad is about. Try it out. You’ll want it again.