Radish, mint and feta salad

Most salads’ reputation is made by their dressing. The salad that follows is, by contrast, almost naked, just a splash of fruity oil for lubrication and some sharp red wine vinegar for punch. The result is a salad with both a refreshing crunch and salty bite. A summer lunch of singular freshness and vitality. If you wish, add three or four handfuls of boiled and skinned broad beans to the salad instead of, or as well as, the cucumber.

Ingredients

1 medium to large cucumber
1 large bunch of radishes
6 spring onions
350g feta cheese
1 small bunch of mint
1 small bunch of coriander
Olive oil
Red wine vinegar - not too smooth

Details

Achieving the perfect results

1. Peel the cucumber lightly, so as to remove the coarse skin but leaving behind as much of the bright green that lies directly under the skin as possible. Otherwise the salad will appear insipid.
2. Cut the cucumber in half lengthways, then scrape out the seeds with a teaspoon and discard them. Slice each long half again, lengthways, then cut each piece into short, fat chunks and tip into a large mixing bowl.
3. Wash the radishes, then top and tail them. Cut them in half or quarters, according to their size then add them to the cucumber. Trim the spring onions and chop them into thick rings.
4. Crumble the cheese into small chunks. Tear the mint leaves into large pieces - you can leave the small leaves whole, then toss them with the whole coriander leaves, cheese, cucumber, onions and radishes.
5. Drizzle over a little olive oil and vinegar (you don’t need a formal dressing here, just a splash of both) then grind over a little black pepper, but no salt.