It’s summer! Well, at least it should be.

 

Despite the driving rain the John Ross Jr team remains positive about what July holds weather-wise. So, in anticipation that the clouds are going to part and the sun is going to shine, we thought we’d equip you with some easy-to-prepare summer salad recipes to enjoy as part of your picnic (we can but hope).

 

Of course, these are all smoked salmon recipes however feel free to experiment with our Smoked Mackerel Fillets or Hot Smoked Trout, too.

 

For the first recipe, we couldn’t resist a little nod to the UK’s most celebrated tennis event: Wimbledon.

 

After tennis (and arguably rain), Wimbledon is associated with strawberries and cream, so here’s a strawberry-themed salad which is tasty, healthy and filled with the spirit of summer.

 

Summer fruit smoked salmon salad

Serves 4

 

Ingredients

 

• A 200g pack of John Ross Jr’s Traditional Smoked Salmon (torn into strips)
• 1 bulb of fennel (trimmed, cored and sliced into fine strips)
• 50g rocket
• 50g spinach
• 100g strawberries (halved)
• 50g raspberries
• 50g blueberries
• A handful of pine nuts
• A sprinkling of pomegranate seeds
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons of wholegrain mustard
• 1 teaspoon of honey (runny)
• Fresh, crusty to bread to serve (optional)

 

Method

 

In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil, white wine vinegar, mustard and honey.

 

Place the smoked salmon, fennel, leaves and fruit (except the pomegranate seeds) in a separate bowl. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and gently toss so that everything is covered.

 

Sprinkle cracked black pepper over the top (to taste) and finish with a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds and pine nuts. Serve with the fresh bread.

 

Hot smoked salmon and grapefruit salad

Serves 4

 

The BBC Goodfood site is a rich melting pot of delicious recipes and this summer salad we came across proves it. We’ve made it our own, of course, but this balances the smoky flavours of the salmon with the sharp, tangy tones of the grapefruit.

 

Ingredients

 

2 packs of John Ross Jr’s Kiln Roasted Smoked Salmon

2 grapefruits

1 red onion (sliced)

1 fennel bulb (finely sliced)

50g rocket

50g watercress

2 teaspoons of fennel seeds (crushed)

2 teaspoons runny honey

1 large tablespoon of wholegrain mustard

2 tablespoons of olive oil

 

Method

Peel the grapefruits and split the segments into individual pieces.

 

Make the dressing by combining the oil, mustard, honey and any grapefruit juice that you can get from any otherwise wasted fruit, such as that stuck to the skin. Season the dressing to taste.

 

Toss the grapefruit, fennel, onion, watercress, rocket and half the dressing. Arrange on a serving dish, flake over the hot smoked salmon and then sprinkle the remaining dressing and the crushed fennel seeds on top. Serve and enjoy.
Share your favourite summer salad recipes with us via our Facebook Page or Twitter using @JRJsmokedsalmon.