ONE more way to beat the heat is with this cooling Tomato Salad. According to Ayurveda, Tomatoes are one of the foods that have a cooling effect on the human body; a food highly recommended in one’s summer diet. Lettuce leaves are another cooling vegetable. Milk and milk products, including cream, are also cooling foods. Fresh herbs are used and no heat producing spices or herbs are used. So when one combines all these, well, what better way to beat the heat but the way of a Tomato Salad!

The Chinese say that cooling foods have a way of ridding the body of heat and toxins. It calms the blood and enhances the Yin in the body. Cooling foods eliminate or at least reduce irritating summer problems of excess perspiration and thirst, gastric discomforts like flatulence, constipation, pungent and odorous wind.

This is an old recipe from the times when flavours were not so complex with complicated ad mixes of spices, sauces and plethora of ingredients; its superiority lies in the simplicity of its purity of taste.  It is only on the palate that the flavours mix to enhance the refined experience

RECIPE: Serves One.

INGREDIENTS:

1 bunch lettuce (alternately you may use iceberg lettuce but the taste changes completely);

1 large tomato per person;

1 teaspoon of Whipped Cream per slice of tomato;

1 tablespoon of roughly chopped olives (black preferred);

2 tablespoons of finely chopped chives;

2 tablespoons of finely chopped parsley (try fresh coriander or cilantro for a change);

½ finely chopped medium sized onion (about 1 ½ inch in diameter), preferably pink or red (red/pink onions bring greater zest to the salad and contrast well with the juicy sweet-sour of the tomato);

¼ teaspoon honey.

METHOD:

Wash and dry lettuce leaves,

Halve each leaf and spread these in a dish.

Slice the tomatoes about 3 mm in thickness (half an index finger width),

Place a slice of tomato on each piece of lettuce.

In a mixing bowl:

Put the whipped cream, chopped olives, chopped chives, chopped parsley and chopped onions,

Mix well.

Now, place some mixture on each tomato slice.

To finish place a small drop of honey on the mixture.

If you prefer to eliminate the sweet taste of honey, replace it with a few grains of freshly ground pepper. I DO NOT RECOMMEND ELIMINATION OF HONEY. The surprise of the slight sweetness adds a twist of urbanity and chic to the otherwise forthright taste of the salad.

Beetroot salad (Rodbettor Salad) is quick and easy Swedish Salad, an absolutely delicious diet recipe for the first time cooks. Every time I have served it, it has been a resounding success and it so easy to make. There are many variations of this salad (given at the end), BUT this is my favourite.

Goes with everything; especially well with curries, hot spicy food, roasts, fish dishes and cold meat. It is a Great addition to your meal or accompaniment to your sandwich.

Serves: Two persons
Actual salad making time: 5 minutes
Preparation Time: 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

RADISH

HORSE RADISH

Beetroots 4;

Horse Radish 1 or radish 4;

Lime juice of ½ lime;
Salt to taste;
Pepper to taste;
A pot full of water for boiling.

MAKING THE SALAD:

Julienne the radish (as in the instructions below)

Add salt, pepper and juice of ½ a lime and mix

Dice the boiled beetroot (instructions for boiling, below)

Mix the diced beetroot and julienned radish in a bowl.

Cover the bowl and chill. Serve.

HOW TO COOK THE BEETROOT AND PREPARE RADISH:

1. Take 5 moderate size beetroots. Avoid very large ones as they could be fibrous and thus spoil your dish and are hard to cook.

2. Cut off the stalks and leaves, if any. Leave the skin on.

3. Put the beetroot in a large boiling pot; fill with enough water to stand an inch or two above the beetroot. Add a pinch of sugar or 1//2 tea spoon of jagary or any other natural sugar. Place the pot on a high flame to boil. (If you have an electric steamer, steam the beetroot. It tastes a 100 times better).

4. In the mean time, scrape the upper surface of the radish to clean it.

5. Then halve it round the middle. Further, Cut the two halves length wise. You now have 4 pieces. Cut all four into thin strips (juliennes), as fine as possible.

6. Squeeze the juice of 1 lime on it, add a sprinkling of a couple of pinches of salt and pepper, mix and leave aside.

7. Now, check to see if the beetroot is done. To check whether the beetroot is fully cooked, poke the beetroot with a knife. The knife must easily slide all the way in without having to force it at any stage.

8. Once the beetroot is well cooked, remove the pot from the flame. Spoon out the beetroot and let it cool.

9. Once cool, peel the beetroot and dice then bright red flesh into your salad bowl.

10. Taste the radish you had put aside. Adjust seasoning (Taste for salt n pepper)

11. Add the radish juliennes to the diced beetroot.

12. Mix, chill and serve.

ALTERNATE RECIPES:

You can replace:

The boiled and diced beetroot by pickled beetroot. This is acceptable all over Europe. In this case eliminate the lime juice from the above recipe as the pickled beetroot is sour enough;
Or
The radish with red onions;
Or
Lime juice with your favourite vinegar;

OR
Dress the salad with one table spoon each of crème fraiche and mayonnaise or to your taste;

OR
You can add:
Or
Green apples to the salad; again reduce or eliminate the lime juice. The apples are tart;
Or
Pickled gherkins and dill; again eliminate the lime juice;
Or
A spoon of Dijon Mustard, (remember it is sour) chopped chives and dill.