This week Lucy is providing us with a fantastic two for one offer on Summer Salads. These dishes will liven up any barbecue lunch or dinner.

It’s August, it’s high summer and it’s barbecue central. So I have decided to share two, yes, two brilliant summer salads with you so your barbecue menus can take a step up to another level. There’s nothing worse than serving delicious grilled meats with a paltry display of limp lettuce. So in today’s two for one offer I am sharing my Cherry Tomatoes with Salad Cream Dressing and Carrot and Peanut Salad.

The lure of the cherry tomato salad was the brilliant addition of the homemade salad cream style dressing. And what a lure it is. I love salad cream and make no apology for this love, I know it’s not fashionable, but I don’t care, it’s lovely. The Carrot and Peanut salad has the appeal of being the easiest salad on the planet. It’s just two ingredients and a dressing, almost easier than opening a bag of tired old leaves.

The only drama involved in either of these salads is the salad cream dressing. And even that is no real kerfuffle. It’s a white sauce style mix with the addition of egg and vinegar to thicken and flavour. Then it’s just pouring, chopping and stirring all the way. Simple, and your barbecue or dare I say, buffet, game will be elevated to a whole new level.

This recipe will appear on Lucy Loves later on this week.

Cherry Tomatoes with Salad Cream Dressing

Serves 4 – with dressing left over

You will only need a small saucepan

• 500g cherry tomatoes, halved

Dressing

• 1/4 teaspoon English mustard or a pinch of mustard powder
• 1 heaped tablespoon plain flour
• 1 teaspoon caster sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• a big pinch/grind black pepper
• 250ml full fat milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 4 tablespoons vinegar, I used white balsamic, but use anything with a lovely flavour
• 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
• Chopped chives or spring onion tops to garnish

Start with the dressing. Fill your sink with cold water. Take a small saucepan and mix together the mustard, flour, sugar and salt and pepper. Mix with a little of the milk to fashion a paste then put on the hob on a low heat and blend in more of the milk. Use a small whisk to prevent lumps. Slowly add the rest of the milk, whisking, until you have a thickish sauce-like texture. Turn the heat off then whisk in the beaten egg and vinegar.

Put the bottom of the saucepan into the sink of cold water and continue to whisk while the dressing cools. Add the tablespoon of sunflower oil then pour into a jug and leave to cool.

Halve, or third if bigger, your cherry toms and place a on pretty plate. Drizzle over some of your cooled salad cream style dressing over the chopped tomatoes. Garnish with some snipped chives and devour.

Carrot and Peanut Salad

You will need a pretty bowl for serving

• 4 medium sized carrots, cut into batons, then halved or quartered
• 80g salted peanuts

Dressing

• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons nut oil, peanut is good, I used macadamia nut
• a couple of drops of sesame oil
• Some parsley to garnish, if you like

Peel your carrots and cut into batons then halve or cut into smaller chunks, its up to you. Tip in the salted peanuts and stir to combine.

For the dressing whisk together the red wine vinegar, nut oil and sesame oil.

Pour the dressing onto the carrot and nut mixture and stir well to coat. Garnish with a few sprigs of parsley, if you are that way inclined. Eat on it’s own or as a side salad dish.

Both these recipes are from the wonderful Nigella Lawson, with thanks.