These two salads make great light starters. You will get smoked duck in any good deli or from your craft butcher. We have been having great fun doing some of our own smoking at the restaurant in our grill dome. Recently we have done quail and sweetmeats.

Fruit vinegars are becoming very popular and you will get the strawberry and many others in specialised shops. It’s well worth trying a few different tastes. And I know lots of you are growing your own salads and chives. Again, well worth the effort.

For the bacon, mozzarella and pine nut salad, do get some delicious dry-cured bacon. And I have been using Toombridge Mozzarella which we get direct from Sheridans. I hear a lot of people saying how good it is. Pine nuts are just delicious toasted.

This dressing is a nice simple one and well worth remembering. You will find it useful over and over again.

Happy cooking!

THIS WEEK’S RECIPES

SMOKED SILVERHILL DUCK SALAD WITH CLARKE STRAWBERRY DRESSING

Serves two

175g smoked duck breast slices

1 large orange, zested, peeled and segmented

100g Clarke’s strawberries, hulled and cubed

3 tbsp rapeseed oil

2 tbsp strawberry or red wine vinegar

1 tsp honey

1 tsp chopped chives

50g mixed salad leaves

3 tbsp flaked almonds, toasted

1 Divide the smoked duck and orange segments between two serving plates, arranging them alternatively in a circle around the plate, slightly overlapping. Sprinkle the diced strawberries over.

2 Whisk the orange zest with the rapeseed oil, vinegar, honey and chives and season to taste. Toss the salad leaves through and arrange them in a pile in the centre of each rind.

3 Drizzle any remaining dressing over the duck and orange.

4 Scatter the toasted almonds over the top and serve.

BACON, MOZZARELLA AND PINE NUT SALAD

Serves two

Mixed salad leaves

Mozzarella – one ball torn into pieces or eight small mini balls

2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted

8 slices of streaky bacon, grilled until crisp, then cut in half

For the dressing:

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp honey

1 Whisk together the olive oil and vinegar. Add mustard and honey. Season to taste.

2 Divide the salad leaves between the two plates. Sprinkle the mozzarella, pine nuts and dressing over to top. Scatter the crispy bacon over and enjoy.