2x easy summer salads

Summer salads are light, refreshing dishes perfect for hot weather. Seasonal salads are a lovely way to incorporate vegetables into your diet with variety to flavour and colour on your plate. I have a balcony where I grow herbs and peas that I often add to my dishes. Even though my gardening is very limited on the balcony, it is greatly satisfying to eat (even if it is just herbs), something you have self cultivated. Salads do not need to be boring and only leaf based, these two dishes are filled with vegetable and an abundance of texture.

1) Summer carrot salad

Ingredients for dressing

• greek yogurt

• lemon juice

• garlic

• salt/pepper

Ingredients for toppings

• 3-4 summer carrots

• chopped feta

• toasted pine nuts

• Edible flowers : violet and mint flowers

• chopped mint

• grated black pepper

• spring onions

As a base, begin by making a greek yogurt dressing. It can be as simple as you like it to be or add twists of your own to suit your palette. Take a bowl, mix in ( 1/2 cup or so), greek yogurt, grate in a garlic clove, add a splash of lemon juice, salt and black pepper. mix well. This is the dressing, you can of course add any chopped herb to it or spices such as paprika or tahini/honey. Spread this on the bottom of your plate when it is time to serve.

For the main ingredient, take three or four summer carrots. Wash them, peel gently, remove the tips (leave a bit of green on the ends for visual effect) and cut in half. In a pan, add a dollop of butter, a few twigs of thyme and olive oil. Place the carrots on the pan and gently cook with a lid covered until they are slightly soft. This may take about 7-10 minutes. If you prefer a bit of sweetness, midway through cooking, add a bit of honey into the pan. Gently salt the carrots. Once ready, add them on top of the greek yogurt dressing.

Add the rest of the toppings on the carrots -

Sprinkle some feta cheese on top, edible flowers like violet/mint flowers, chopped mint, spring onions, toasted pine nuts, grated black pepper.

Pickled chanterelle & New potato summer salad

mushroom season is here and we have been a few times to pick chanterelle mushrooms from the forrest. It has barely rained the entire July, so mushroom picking has been slow this summer. There is a chanterelle mushroom pickling trend going on at the moment and decided to try it myself too. It is a very easy and a lovely way of eating the mushrooms, however if this intimidates you, you certainly can sauté the mushrooms for this salad too. If you are interested in pickling the mushrooms, see the recipe below.

For this salad you need

• Chopped watermelon

• Chopped Cooked Beetroot

• Crumbled feta chese

• Boiled New potatoes halved

• Pickled chanterelle mushrooms

• summer peas

• violet flowers

• thyme

• toasted almonds

• olive oil/ salt/pepper

begin by preparing the beetroot and new potatoes. Boil them both separately until cooked. Let them cool and chop into smaller pieces. To make the salad, combine together chopped watermelon, feta, the cooled boiled potatoes and beetroots, summer peas and pickeld chanterelle mushrooms. Make sure not to toss the salad around too much as the beet tends to colour everything purple. Add good quality olive oil on top and a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle some thyme and violet flowers on top. Lastly, add toasted almonds to your salad.

Here's a simple and easy recipe to pickle chanterelle mushrooms — perfect for preserving their earthy flavour and adding a tangy twist:

Easy Pickled Chanterelle Mushrooms

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fresh chanterelle mushrooms, cleaned and trimmed

• 1 cup water

• 1 cup white vinegar (or apple cider vinegar for a milder flavor)

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp sugar

• 2 cloves garlic, sliced

• 1–2 sprigs fresh thyme or dill (optional)

• 1/2 tsp black peppercorns

• 1 bay leaf

• Optional: 1 small chili pepper for heat

Instructions:

1. Clean the mushrooms
   Gently brush off any dirt with a soft brush or cloth. Trim stems and rinse briefly if needed, then pat dry.

2. Blanch the chanterelles
   Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the mushrooms and boil for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

3. Prepare the pickling brine
   In a small saucepan, combine:

   • Water

   • Vinegar

   • Salt

   • Sugar

   • Garlic

   • Peppercorns

   • Bay leaf
     (plus herbs or chili if using)

   Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 2–3 minutes.

4. Pack and pour
   Place the blanched mushrooms into a clean jar. Pour the hot brine over them, making sure they’re fully submerged.

5. Cool and store
   Let the jar cool to room temperature, then seal and refrigerate.
   Let them sit at least 24 hours before eating for best flavor — they’ll last about 2–3 weeks in the fridge.