SUGAR SNAP SALAD WITH MISO DRESSING

So... If you know that you are going to a dear friends house - the one and only Pophams - and you know that a few hours later you shall be drinking for approximately 12 hours, and behaving rather badly - then you must also know that you need to eat.

Bill and Cath supplied the ham from down the West Country, the bread came from Venn St Saturday market in Clapham (and if you haven't been there, then you are missing out - Max looks forward to his pulled pork bun with apple sauce all week)..Tim and Caroline provided the as always perfect



location, the wine, um and um oh yes - the cheese!!! And we supplied 2 salads, which luckily I managed to take a quick snap shot before the rushed journey across the common.  My hair was a total disaster and looked like I had been auditioning for a role as Bonnie Langford's little sister.  Anyway, back to the food... it was very very delicious, and obviously healthy and unfattening. So, if you don't drink gallons of wine and tuck into a ton of chocolate afterwards, you are well on your way to a delicious uncalorific feast.  And, the plus, is that it very easy, very tasty and very quick.

THE SALAD (For 8)

2 packs trimmed sugar snap peas
2 Chinese leaf lettuce
1 bag radishes
10 spring onions
4 tbsp sesame seeds (dry toasted in a frying pan)

FOR THE SESAME - MISO DRESSING

Big thumb of ginger
2 large garlic cloves
3 tbsp white miso - all good supermarkets (so not our local Tescos!)
2 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp honey
4 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 tbsp olive oil

Boil the sugar snap peas for no more than 2 minutes in salted water - you do not want them soft - you could even have them totally uncooked if you prefer.  Thinly chop the cabbage, thinly slice the radishes, thinly slice the spring onions.  Add all of them together with the barely cooked sugar snaps, give them a bit of a toss - toast the sesame seeds, and then sprinkle them on the top.

For the dressing... finely chop the ginger and the garlic.  Pop into a pot with a lid and add in all the other ingredients.  Drizzle over the salad just before serving and give it a good old mix up.

Totally scrumptious....




















I also did another salad - and if you are not too bored of bulgar wheat, then you can read on....


BULGAR WHEAT SALAD - with coriander, yellow pepper, chopped almonds, raisins, spring onions and lemon juice.

Rinse half a packet of bulgar wheat in a sieve to de -starch it... pop in saucepan and cover with water, and about an inch extra.  Add olive oil, salt and a veg stock cube.  Boil for about 3, then add the raisins and leave to stand for another minute or 2.  Drain any excess water.

Add finely chopped spring onions, chopped coriander, chopped almonds, yellow pepper, salt and pepper, and lots of lemon juice to taste.

Delicious... I was also going to add feta cheese and pomegranate seeds, but you could do that another time.

Not sure if the photos do them justice ...

The bulgar wheat salad can keep for days, and you can add a million different things to it to your liking... and if you don't have bulgar wheat, you can use quinoa (Keen-wha - for those not in the know!) or cous cous..

So, have a great sunday - I shall now be resting my head, and trying to remember if I disgraced myself yesterday, but quite chuffed that I seem to have suffered amnesia.