Wendy Barrie, founder of The Scottish Food Guide, talks salads in October.
You may be thinking October is a fine time to be talking salads but any week can be salad week!
When ski-ing in Switzerland many moons ago I was amazed they served a side salad with each evening meal, usually based around dressed shredded kale with radish or carrot – unheard of in Scotland in the 1980s unless you were a regular at Hendersons, of course!
In Fife, we have the climate and soil to grow fabulous vegetables and are blessed with splendid farm shops.
Along in Pittenweem to the rear of their restaurant, Ruth and Malcolm skillfully nurture a stunning array of garden greens and accompaniments to enhance their dishes at The Dory Bistro.
Their range of leaves and shoots give added grace and flavours to Ruth’s perfectly cooked seafood, landed fresh outside their door.
Malcolm, an exceptionally gifted painter whose sea-inspired paintings hang in the bistro, should perhaps capture their garden on canvas as well – it is such a joy to behold!
Add colour to meals
But for us mere mortals who lack the skills or the garden space, do we need to resort to supermarket salad bags? Never in our house – indeed they are a pet hate!
Whether it be foraged herbs or autumn berries, grated roots or finely shredded brassicas, there is always something healthy and crunchy that can be used to improve our Scottish diet and add colour to our plates.
One such simple successful dish we enjoy at home is Bosse’s salad. Bursting with colour and all harvested from our wee plot right now: a juicy dish of equal quantities of (well-scrubbed) grated carrot, apple and cooked beetroot, topped with chopped chives.
If you happen to have heritage carrots, different apple varieties or golden beets, the colours and flavours can be plentiful and delicious.
The apples can be quite tart but the sweet earthiness of the beet works in harmony. Served as a side dish or a hearty meal with baked potato wedges it is tasty and thrifty – with not a bag of tired leaves in sight!
Wendy Barrie is founder of The Scottish Food Guide and The Scottish Cheese Trail.