This is one of the simplest and most delicious salads you can make. A wonderful combo of stale bread, salty, zingy capers and sweet, fat Isle of Wight tomatoes. I love it and serve it in many ways at the restaurant: with grilled fish, or a simple goats’ cheese, but I also love it on its own. The addition of Summer Harvest bramble vinegar gives it a wonderful rounded flavour and makes it something special. Originating in Italy it’s a brilliant way to use up leftover bread. We use day-old sourdough fried in butter, oil and salt to bring it back to life. This salad is great at a barbeque, and can even be made the day before.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1/3 loaf of sourdough, crusts removed

A big handful of Isle of Wight tomatoes, cherry toms are good

1/2 cucumber, seeds removed

1 Ramiro pepper, the long red ones

1 large red onion, peeled and finely chopped

1 tbsp capers

A small handful of basil and mint leaves

50ml Summer Harvest bramble vinegar

75ml Summer Harvest cold-pressed rapeseed oil

A few radishes

A knob of butter

Good salt and pepper

METHOD

Heat 25ml of oil in a frying pan and add the butter. Meanwhile, cut the bread into 1cm cubes, and then fry them in the pan tossing and seasoning all the time until they just start to turn golden. Set to one side on kitchen paper.

In a large bowl, mix the finely chopped red onion with the vinegar then remaining oil; it takes the harshness away by adding it first.

Dice the pepper, cucumber and cut the cherry toms in half, then add to the bowl with the capers. Slice a few radishes and add those to the bowl as well.

Next, add in the croutons then rip the basil and mint leaves gently (being careful not to bruise them) and add to the bowl too. Season and mix gently.

Use your taste buds to figure out if it needs more of this or that. Serve with grilled meats, fish or cheese. Delicious!