We are well into the ‘dog days’ of summer, so here is some more food and drink to cool and refresh. Canicular days such as these need ‘lashings of ginger beer’, home-made lemonade and other soft, or softer drinks, so fruit punches and sangria rather than your best bottles of white burgundy and super Tuscans. Do we want any cooked food at all?

For me, main course salads are the answer. Of course, someone might have had to roast the fillet of beef first in order to prepare the Thai beef salad in which case I recommend that that someone does that as early as possible in the day.

The fish needs little cooking, after a light curing with soy sauce. This is one of my favourite ways to prepare lampuki, so here’s hoping for some big ones before too long. But you can also use the recipe for other ‘blue’ or oily fish such as mackerel, sardines and it works very well with salmon. The scallop salad can also be adapted to prawns, in which case steam or boil them briefly before proceeding.

The secret to these salads is that although they require shopping for an array of flavoursome ingredients, they are very quick to prepare once you have assembled everything. I have given recipes for two, but quantities can readily be doubled up and multiplied by three or four.

If you prefer salads with no fish or meat, I suggest watermelon, diced cucumber, crumbled feta and toasted walnuts, together with a shower of shredded basil, plenty of extra virgin olive oil and a splash of balsamico or sherry vinegar. The melon also makes a wonderfully refreshing drink. A freshly made salad of cubes of ħobża fried in olive oil, beefsteak tomatoes cut in wedges, shavings of Parmesan, plenty of rocket, all bathed in a garlicky dressing makes for a satisfying dish, as does a salad of pears, gorgonzola and toasted almonds served on a thick piece of lightly toasted garlic bread.

In fact, this base of toasted ħobża rubbed with garlic and brushed with extra virgin olive oil makes a perfect base for a substantial main course salad, on which you can stack up your chosen ingredients. I like it with crushed avocado, sliced chicken, lemon mayonnaise and a slice or two of chorizo.

Marinated scallop and avocado salad

(Serves 2)

6 scallops
Extra virgin olive oil
Gozo salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 or 3 large ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced – juice sieved and saved
1 ripe avocado, peeled and diced
Coriander, basil, chives or mint

Slice the scallops in two or three, depending on thickness and arrange on a large plate in a single layer. Brush liberally with olive oil and lightly season with salt and pepper. Splash the saved tomato liquid over the scallops, which is much gentler than lemon or lime juice. Mix the tomato and avocado, season lightly and add a little more olive oil before piling the mixture in the middle of the dish. Garnish with your chosen herbs and serve.

Melonade

(Serves 4 to 6)

1 small watermelon or honeydew, rind and seeds discarded
175g sugar
750ml chilled water
450ml freshly squeezed lemon juice

Roughly chop the melon into chunks and blend them with the sugar and water and then add the lemon juice. Strain into a jug and serve with ice. Lemon verbena, lemon thyme, or lemon balm makes a perfect garnish. The drink is quite tart. If you wish, serve a small jug of sugar syrup with the melonade. Other fruit can be used to flavour the lemonade, such as peaches or apricots. In each case, follow the same procedure by first blending fruit until smooth with sugar and water and then adding the lemon juice and straining. You will want to experiment with the sugar levels. For a plain citron pressé simply use freshly squeezed lemon juice diluted with water and sweetened with sugar or syrup.

Salad of cured fish with mint

(Serves 2 as a first course)

200g very fresh fish fillets, skinned and pin bones removed
3 tbsp soy sauce
Generous pinch sugar
Sunflower or groundnut oil for frying
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp ground chilli powder – or to taste
3 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
Handful of mint and coriander leaves
1 small firm mango, peeled and shredded
1 to 2 tbsp salmon or other fish roe for garnish – optional

Marinate the fish overnight in the soy and sugar. When ready to cook, remove from the marinade and pat dry. Shallow-fry the fish fillets for two minutes, then let them rest for 10 minutes. In a bowl combine the lime juice, fish sauce and chilli and flake in the fish. Carefully fold in the shallots, herbs and mango and serve with chilled noodles, with or without fish roe for decoration.

Yam Nua - beef salad

(Serves 2)

2 or 3 bird’s eye chillies
1 red chilli
3 cloves garlic, peeled
4 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp oriental fish sauce
1 tbsp sugar
300g rare grilled steak or roast beef thinly sliced
½ cucumber, quartered lengthways and sliced
75g cherry tomatoes, halved
1 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 spring onions, sliced into oblique pieces
2 tsp chopped coriander leaves
2 tsp chopped basil
Salad leaves – for serving

First make the dressing by pounding the chillies and garlic in a mortar, then mixing in the next three ingredients in a salad bowl. Add the beef and remaining ingredients. Line a serving bowl or platter with salad leaves and spoon the beef salad on top.