This Morning - Summer salads

Summer salads

Antony Worrell Thompson shares his sensational summer salads.

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Thai Beef Salad
Serves 4

1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 dessertspoon runny honey
juice of 2 limes
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce
2 cloves garlic, mashed to a paste with a little salt
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
450g /1 lb leftover rare beef from your Sunday roast, thinly sliced and cut into julienne strips
half cucumber peeled, de-seeded and cut into 1 inch batons
half red onion, finely sliced
1 punnet cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves, rough chopped
1 tablespoons fresh coriander leaves, rough chopped
1 baby gem lettuces, washed and leaves separated
1 handful of micro leaves – the new superfood & can be bought in most supermarkets tablespoon roasted peanuts, rough chopped

- Combine the first 7 ingredients to make the dressing.
- Combine the remaining ingredients except for the lettuce and peanuts with the dressing. Place on to baby gem lettuce leaves. Garnish with a sprinkling of chopped roasted peanuts.
- Serve immediately with some lime wedges for a refreshing summer salad.

Flower Garden Salad
Serves 4-6

2 spring onions
2 ripe avocados
30ml/2tbsp lemon juice
Primroses, violets and chive flowers (eight of each)
Small handful of rocket leaves
Small handful of watercress sprigs
225g/8oz gorgonzola crumbled
Small handful of pea shoots
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts

For the dressing
90ml/6tbsp extra virgin olive oil
25ml white wine vinegar
5ml/ltsp dry mustard
5ml/l tsp caster sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper

- To make the dressing, use a fork to mix together all the ingredients in a bowl. Set aside until required.
- Trim the spring onions. Cut lengthways into thin shreds, then across into 5cm/ 2in lengths. Put in a bowl of cold water so that the shreds curl. Leave in a cool place for an hour.
- Halve and pit the avocados and peel away the skins. Slice very finely and toss in the bowl with lemon juice to prevent discolouration.
- Remove all the green parts from the flowers.
- To serve, toss the avocado with the salad leaves onto the serving plates. Add the drained spring onions. Finish with the flowers and place the gorgonzola on top. Spoon over the dressing and sprinkle with walnuts.

Hint: make sure you are obtaining from flowers that have not been sprayed with insecticide and pesticides