Spinach and Pea salad and the last days of summer

It looks as though summer is coming to an end, with the leaves sarting to fall and the nights drawing in. However, there's still time to fit some barbecue's in though! Which is just what friends Debs and Tone did today, squeezed into the few hours of sunshine we had between the British summer rain. Sausages, beefburgers, celebratory drinks for their double wedding with Jacqui and Marcus (congratulations folks)...................and salads! 


I've never been a big one for making salads, although I do have a gorgeous book 'Super Salads' by Michael Van Straten (the photos are rather beautiful), which inspires me to at least try every now and again. Way beyond the limp lettuce and squishy tomato salads of school. However, when I asked Debs if I could bring anything and she replied 'salads' I decided to try something new; spinach and pea salad, from a Jaime Oliver cookbook, The Naked Chef (he looks so young on the cover!!). I only made tiny changes to include basil, which always tastes good.


Fresh, light and fragrant, it tastes like summer should be. 


Spinach and Pea salad


Bag of fresh baby spinach
Fresh of frozen peas ( I used frozen, about a handful)
Handful of fresh basil (not used in the Jaime recipe)
Mozzarella (Feta cheese used in the Jaime recipe)
2 tbs of olive oil
2 tbs of lemon juice 
pepper and salt


Directions

• Boil the peas for a few minutes (until just cooked)
• Rinse them in cold water and put on one side
• Wash the spinach and basil and dry
• Place the leaves into a bowl and add cold peas
• Tear the mozzarella over the green
• Mix the olive oil and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over the salad.
• Serve and eat