Basic Vegetable Salad

I've been poorly this week. A nasty cold made me all tired and spacey, so I left most of the cooking up to Pete. And I'm very grateful, too.

The other day I thought I was better, and bought everything I needed to make burgers and a vegetable salad, then collapsed on the sofa and didn't move again for the rest of the day. Conversation that evening went as follows:

Pete: Shall I cook these burgers then?

Bron: OK. But I'll make the salad.

Pete: Don't be silly.

Bron: I will. I'll make the salad.

Pete: We don't even need salad.

Bron: WE DO NEED SALAD. WE'RE GROWN UPS.

Pete: [Looks at Bron]

Bron: Just burgers is fine.

I'm more or less better now. Still a little groggy but basically ok. And now I've made the salad I was going to make. It's my favourite 'basic' salad, as it keeps for a couple of days in the fridge, and you can add any number of optional extras to it to keep it interesting.

Basic:
4 carrots
1 cucumber
3 spring onions

Optional extras (suggestions):
Capers or olives, chopped
Peppers
Crumbled feta
Croutons
Bacon bits
Grated ginger
Chopped fresh coriander
Salad leaves (I like rocket)

Dressing:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper
crushed clove of garlic

Grate the carrot and cucumber, and finely slice the spring onion. Leave everything in a sieve for half an hour so that the juice can drain out. Mix the dressing up separately, and toss with the salad, along with your extras (strongly recommended)

If you don't add leaves it won't wilt, so it will last a bit longer than other salads. I like to make a big bowl so I can eat it over a few days without too much fuss, even if I'm sick and can't make anything fresh.

Here with feta, green peppers and toasted sesame seeds and coconut

As well as a side to main meals, this is good in a wrap, mixed with cous-cous, or added to some hot chicken stock with a little chilli and some noodles for a very quick soup. Or for proving that you are a damn adult, and can cope with eating your vegetables even if you don't have to and don't want to. It's a matter of pride.