The evenings aren't quite as light as they were a month ago but, despite the weather, it is still technically summer. So, in the kitchen, we have been making the most of the tomatoes and whipping up some super quick summery sides.

I used to have a weird "thing" about lentils being too nutty, pappy tasting, too regularly-shaped and not worth eating. Now I am a complete convert. The radishes give some crunch, avoiding any hint of pappiness, while the capers add bite. We made the salad in under ten minutes by taking three cups of cooled puy lentils that had been cooked in stock. To these were added four small sliced spring onions and six sliced radishes, and four diced cherry tomatoes. We finished off with a small handful of chopped parsley, one finely chopped clove of garlic, and a tablespoon of capers. This was dressed with a slug of olive oil, and a smaller glug of sherry vinegar.

The vine below shows the making of the salad which we ate with a couple of pan fried fillets of grey mullet. Yummers.