This is based on a salad I loved eating in Tokyo. Change the veggies depending on what is in your fridge or the garden.

Words and Recipe: Ruth Pretty  Photos: Murray Lloyd

INGREDIENTS

1 cos lettuce (use the smaller internal leaves)
1 green frilly lettuce, inner leaves, gently torn
1 bok choy and 1 endive (use the hearts and pull them apart)
handful each baby sorrel, rocket and rainbow chard leaves
handful each small miners’ lettuce, nasturtium leaves and pea tendrils
celery leaves from the heart
4 spring onions, white part and some of the firmer green part, sliced very thinly preferably on a mandolin
1 avocado, cut into chunky slices and dressed with  lemon juice
8-16 green beans, sliced lengthwise
8-16 snow peas, sliced into 3 or 4 on an angle
1 fennel bulb, inner heart, sliced lengthwise
¼ daikon and ¼ small cucumber sliced very thinly preferably on a mandolin
1 courgette, spiralized or cut into matchsticks
smattering microgreens

CUCUMBER DRESSING

Put 1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped, ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves, 1 tablespoon natural yoghurt or buttermilk, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish, 1 teaspoon sugar and ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt in a blender or a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Process until smooth, then cover and store in the fridge until ready to use.

Store the prepared vegetables separately in the fridge using lidded plastic containers lined top and bottom with cold, damp paper towels. When ready to serve, arrange the vegetables in a pyramid-style shape on a large platter. Accompany with cucumber dressing. Serves 8.

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