LITMIR.BIZ

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      1 clove garlic

      a bowl of crisp lettuce, or young spinach or chard leaves

      1 bunch watercress

      ¹/₂ cucumber, peeled and sliced

      2 spring onions (scallions) or ¹/₂ shallot, finely chopped

      chopped fresh herbs as available

      dressing – compatible with the type of meal being served

      1 Rub your salad bowl with the cut garlic clove.

      2 Arrange the prepared ingredients in the bowl, tearing large leaves into smaller pieces.

      3 Toss with the dressing just before serving.

      This basic green salad can be varied with the addition of sprouted seeds such as alfalfa, lamb’s lettuce (mâche) in the spring, chopped celery, chicory (endive), blanched dandelion leaves, rocket or a few young lovage leaves.

      If you have a garden we recommend Joy Larkom’s books The Salad Garden and Oriental Vegetables (see Bibliography). If you live near a good supermarket many now sell delicious fresh pre-packed salads which offer colourful, unusual salad leaves and save the trouble of buying larger quantities of, say, six different salad plants.

      Seeds of herbs and salad vegetables can be obtained from Suffolk Herbs; their extensive list includes such delights as the spicy salad Rocket, a non-bolting cut-and-come-again lettuce called Green Salad Bowl, and a truly wonderful red arrow head oak-leaf lettuce called Cocarde which seems to go on producing tasty leaves all through summer.

      Fats and Oils/Butter and Margarine

      The highly promoted margarines high in polyunsaturated fats can be very damaging to health. We certainly do need these polyunsaturated fatty acids in our diet but they occur naturally in fresh food such as seeds and nuts, vegetables and fish. When vegetable oils are used to produce margarine the unsaturated fats are changed chemically to saturated fats by the process of hydrogenation and are far less healthy than the naturally occurring saturated fats in fresh farm butter. A recently published 10-year study by Harvard Medical School concludes that the hydrogenated vegetable oils in margarines actually contribute to the occurrence of coronary heart disease. So, wherever possible it is best to avoid all highly processed margarines and spreads.

      It is, however, understood that in the vegan, and often the vegetarian diet, margarine will be the choice of fat in order to avoid the consumption of animal products. In those recipes where butter only is indicated a suitable margarine can be substituted instead. There are now a few margarines available on the market containing a high percentage of non-hydrogenated mono-unsaturated fats. Read all labels carefully and use these margarines in preference to those containing saturated fats.

      All fats and oils are neutral and can be combined with all foods. Throughout this book we have used cold pressed olive oil or unrefined sunflower oil and unsalted butter for our recipes. Butter and olive oil, which are monounsaturated fats, are more stable at higher temperatures than other vegetable oils and less liable to rancidity.

      The Hay diet is low in fat and eliminates most hidden fats (those found in biscuits, cakes and sweet products) but is rich in those fats that provide vitamin A, and the essential fatty adds that form part of every cell in the body.

       Olive Oil

      Olive oil, which features so strongly in the Mediterranean diet, appears to have a protective effect on the heart and arteries. Certainly the incidence of coronary heart disease and some cancers is lower in countries where olive oil is widely used.

      We use several varieties of olive oil: an ordinary cold-pressed olive oil for stir-frying, a mild flavoured extra virgin oil for everyday use, and a high quality cold-pressed extra virgin oil for salads and other special dishes. There is a wide variety in taste between the oils from different countries and it is fun to shop around to find the ones that you prefer. Always keep the olive oil in a well corked bottle in a dark, cool place to prevent rancidity.

      For cooking, unsalted butter is less likely to brown; adding a little olive oil to the butter will also help to prevent this.

      Stock (Bouillon)

      We very rarely use stock (bouillon), even a vegetable stock (bouillon), in preparing soups, preferring to let the individual flavours of the vegetables speak for themselves. It is interesting that latterly the late Jane Grigson was an advocate of this view. If, however, you do wish to use stock (bouillon), you can make your own or use one of the excellent vegetable stocks (bouillons) available in cube, powder or liquid form from your local health food store or supermarket.

      Fruits and Dried Fruits

      Where the rind of a lemon or orange is needed, try to use organic fruit or at least fruit that is unwaxed. Similarly, unless you know that the dessert fruit you are eating is organic, it is best to peel it. Whenever possible use unsulphured dried fruits, preferably sun-dried. If you are not sure about the origin of your dried fruit then blanch it by covering it with boiling water for a few minutes; pour this water away, cover the fruit with fresh boiling water and leave until it is ready for use.

      Herbs

      The use of fresh herbs in salads and cooked dishes can transform them into something really special. If possible grow your own; most culinary herbs need very little space and if you have no garden many can be grown in pots on the window sill. Some herbs dry well but most are best gathered fresh and, happily, more and more fresh herbs are becoming available in the supermarkets. These are some of our favourite herbs used in the recipes in this book.

      Basil

      Essential for tomato salad and many Italian dishes. It is an annual and does not dry well but it is possible to grow a good crop in pots. To preserve the basil flavour for use in winter, steep a handful of leaves in a bottle of extra virgin olive oil.

      Bay Leaves

      Can be used fresh or dry. If you or a friend have a tree, you can dry or freeze the leaves for winter use. Use in casseroles or with parsley and thyme to make a bouquet garni.

      Chervil

      Another annual that can be added to salads. It goes well in soups and is especially good in egg dishes.

      Chives

      These make a good ornamental border in the herb garden. Pick them when young – a little goes a long way. The pretty mauve flowers are edible and can be sprinkled over salads in summer.

      Coriander

      Fresh coriander leaves are now more readily available in supermarkets and ethnic shops. They have a pungent aroma that lifts a mixed green salad. If you grow your own, choose the variety cilantro. This has more leaves than other varieties, which tend to go rapidly to seed. The seeds are useful but different in flavour from the leaves.

      Dill

      A must for many fish dishes. The fronds add their special flavour to poached fish and potato salads or sauces based on soured cream. Again, the seeds are useful but different.

      Lovage

      You need a garden for this as it is a large perennial plant and one is enough! The young leaves are a good addition to a green salad in early spring and it is excellent in soups.

      Marjoram and its wild cousin Oregano

      These are easy to grow perennials and add tremendously to tomato dishes. Dried oregano is reasonably successful.

      Mint

      There are many different varieties to choose from but Bowles’ mint is one of the best flavoured for the kitchen. Plant in a large pot or a corner where its growth can be controlled. Good with lamb, in chilled cucumber soup, in salads and many other dishes.

      Parsley

      We like to grow the flat-leaved continental variety as well as the moss-curled. There really is no substitute for fresh parsley and it is well worth protecting it during the winter so that you are never

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