SALAD days are nearly at an end this year, unless we are lucky enough to get an Indian summer, so make the most of the remaining mellow evenings with a delicious Salad of Tuna Nicoise from the kitchen of Nigel Smith, chef patron at the Feilden's Arms, Mellor Brook.

Salad of tuna nicoise

Ingredients:

3 x 4oz tuna steaks

1 plum tomato "concasse"

1oz green beans

2 fresh anchovies

1 soft boiled egg

Handful of salad leaves

4 cooked new potatoes

1 tbsp mayonnaise

1 tsp chopped chives

Method:

PEEL and dice the potatoes, mix with the mayonnaise and chives and season.

Cook the tuna in a hot pan for 3-4 minutes.

Dice the tomato so that it forms tomato "concasse" which is just tomato flesh. Toss the beans, diced tomato, anchovies and leaves in a dressing of your choice. Season with salt and pepper.

Place potato salad in a 3in ring in the centre of the plate. Arrange the beans, tomato, anchovies and the boiled egg (cut into quarters) around. Place the tossed leaves on top of the potato salad and the tuna on the top.