Thai Cucumber Salad

Ingredients

• Half of a telegraph cucumber, scored, sliced and halved
• 1 echelon shallot, cut lengthwise and sliced
• 4 tablespoons white vinegar
• 5 tablespoons white sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 small red chilli, sliced into thin rings

Method

• Put the sliced vegetables into a salad bowl.
• Pour the vinegar, sugar and salt into a saucepan and gently bring to the boil.  
• Simmer until the sugar has completely dissolved and then leave to cool.
• Once cool, pour over the cucumber and shallots and mix well.
• Chill well before serving.

Cook Island Marinated Raw Fish Salad (Ika Mata)

I was born in Rarotonga, Cook Islands.  My parents were there on Government business for a few years, but by the time I was six months old we had returned to New Zealand.  I went there on holiday when I was in my early 20's and felt I had found an island paradise.  Simply beautiful.  This is a festive dish, enjoyed throughout the Cook Islands.

Ingredients

• 1kg firm white fish (snapper, cod)
• 6 lemons, to make 120ml lemon juice plus extra to cover 
• 1 grated carrot 
• 4 chopped spring onions 
• three tomatoes, halved and sliced lengthwise
• 200ml coconut milk
• Pepper and salt 
• Mixed salad leaves  

Method

• Chop fish into bite sized pieces (1cm thick) and cover with fresh lemon juice. 
• Cover with the lemon halves and refrigerate over night, stirring occasionally. 
• Remove and drain from lemon juice and mix with the remaining ingredients.
• Stir in some fresh lemon juice to coat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve slightly chilled over mixed salad leaves.

Moroccan Chickpea and Tomato Salad

Ingredients

400 gram tin chickpeas, rinsed and drained or 1 cup of dried chickpeas which have been soaked overnight and boiled for 1 hour and 30 minutes
2 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 small Spanish (red) onion, finely sliced
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley
Pinch of chillie powder (optional)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
Rocket garnish

Method

• Toss all ingredients together and sit at room temperature for at least two hours before serving.
• Garnish with fresh rocket.
  

Tabouleh - Middle Eastern Bulgar Wheat Salad

Here's how to make Tabouleh, a Middle Eastern favourite

Ingredients

• 3 cups of flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup of mint, roughly chopped
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped
• 1/4 brown onion, very finely diced
• 4 medium sized tomatoes, finely diced
• 100g of coarse burghul or cracked wheat
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 4 tbs olive oil
• Salt and Pepper
• Pinch of cayenne

Method

• Soak the burghul wheat over night and drain in a sieve the following morning. This allows the wheat to drain off most the excess moisture.
  
• Mix all of the ingredients together and adjust seasoning to taste. It should be salty and tart with a hint of heat.

...and that's how to make tabouleh salad!

Russian Salad

Here's how to make Russian Salad, popular around the world and also part of a common tapas selection "ensalada russo".

Ingredients

2 medium sized carrots, peeled and boiled until tender
6 medium potatoes, peeled and boiled until tender
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 cup peas, boiled for 2 minutes
3 small gerkins, diced
1 cup shrimps
3-4 tablespoons mayonnaise
Juice of 1 lemon
Pinch of cayanne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
1 hard boiled egg, chopped

Method

1. Dice carrots and potatoes into 1 cm cubes and put in a large mixing bowl.
   
2. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
3. Serve chilled as a tapa, side dish or main with crusty bread.

...and that's how to make Russian salad!

Portuguese Tomato Salad

Ingredients

6 ripe tomatoes
1 large salad onion
1 desert spoon oregano
1/4 cup of olive oil
coarse sea salt

Method

1. Submerge tomatoes into a bowl of boiling water for two minutes, then drain and rinse with cold tap water.
2. Peel off skin and discard.
3. Roughly chop tomatoes and place in salad dish.
4. Peel onions, slice rounds and separate.
5. Add salt, olive oil and oregano and mix thoroughly.
   
6. Sit at room temperature until ready to serve. The salt will draw out the acid in the tomato and form a natural marinade.

The Heirloom Tomato: From Garden to Table: Recipes, Portraits, and History of the World's Most Beautiful Fruit