samphire and tomato salad

Samphire and tomato salad - a beautifully fresh and simple Summer salad with a great mixture of textures and flavours.  Works really well served with fish and chips I discovered but would go equally well with other fish dishes.  Inspired by a sunny weekend on the Kent coast in Ramsgate.

Samphire is an edible coastal vegetable - it can be foraged from coastal areas (if you know what you're doing!) but can also be bought in some supermarkets and fishmongers.  It has a fresh, salty, sea taste that can be bitter raw....taste a bit first to see if you like it and if too bitter blanch for a minute or 2 in boiling water before refreshing in cold water.  This should take the bitter edge off but still leave the lovely fresh taste.

serves 3-4 as a side salad

ingredients:

200g samphire (cleaned well in running cold water to get rid of any sand/grit)
200g tomatoes
2-3 spring onions
2-3 tbs olive oil
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
pepper to taste (no salt as the samphire is already salty)

• taste your samphire to check if it too bitter for you - if it is blanch for 1-2 minutes then refresh in cold water and drain.
• mix all your ingredients together, season with pepper to taste and it's ready to serve
• ...it really is that simple. 
• would be great with fish and chips or simply cooked fish.  I hope you enjoy and let me know your thoughts....

I am also entering this recipe onto: Four Seasons Food hosted by Delicieux and Chezfoti to go with their BBQ and BBQ sides theme.  This would be great for a beach BBQ....

I have also entered this recipe into Javelin Warrior's Made with Love Mondays over at Cookin w/ Luv