simple rocket salad with tomato vinaigrette

keeping it salad simple!

One of the things I have learned in twenty odd years of cooking that most things work when I try to keep them simple and don't over-complicate things. This is one of the simplest of salads, perfect for a later summer evening, when I would rather be in the garden drinking a cool glass of wine rather than in the kitchen cooking!

Skill level: Easy


ingredients:
rocket leaves
baby plum tomatoes, halved
cucumber, deseeded and diced
spring onions, sliced
pine nuts, toasted
vinaigrette
4 x halves of sun-dried or mi cuit tomatoes
10 x baby plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
salt and freshly ground black pepper
a pinch of sugar
3 tbsp olive oil
 
directions:

1. First assemble the salad, by placing the rocket leaves in the centre of a large plate or bowl and scattering over the chopped salad vegetables and nuts.
2. Make the vinaigrette by first blending together the tomatoes. When blitzed you can sieve them to remove the seeds if you want to; I don't always bother.
3. Dissolve the mustard in the vinegar and stir in the salt and pepper and a pinch of sugar.
4. Slowly whisk in the olive oil to ensure the vinaigrette emulsifies.
5. Whisk in the tomato puree.
6. Drizzle over the salad and serve.