Vinaigrette

I have had a lifelong fling with beans. It all began with green beans "amandine." At our house, fresh-frozen French-cut beans, cooked to the perfect shade of bright green, were heaped with slivered almonds sizzled ...

We fork out a lot of money for our lunchtime salads, and among the vile vinaigrettes, cacophonous flavour clashes and dreary, pallid veggies, a few manage to be worth it.

Leek vinaigrette, salmon with fennel, lemon and dill and a Russian salad - Sally Clarke's recipes combine simple ingredients to make stunning dishes.

A large plate bursting with colorful plants and topped with a zingy vinaigrette - a big salad - is finally getting the love it deserves as a result of today's increased focus on plant-based diets.