Cucumber and egg salad

For this salad, you can use either fresh cucumbers or very lightly salted ones. I like to use very lightly salted cucumbers because it's a family recipe, but fresh ones are excellent too.

In a bowl, mix mayonnaise with a tiny spoonful of Dijon mustard. If you have some Worcestershire sauce, add a few drops. It really does give the dressing an extra depth of flavour. Add chopped cucumber and chopped boiled eggs, then mix everything until well coated. Put on a plate and serve.

If you have dill flowers, scatter them over the top just before serving. They make the salad look beautiful and add a delicate flavour.

Serve it just as it is. It's perfect as a light main course on a hot summer's day, or as one of several dishes for sharing.

And one more thing: if you happen to have some stale bread, don't throw it away. Slice it thinly and toast it until crisp, either dry or with just a tiny drizzle of olive oil. Break it into pieces and mix it through the salad just before serving. It will soak up some of the dressing while keeping a little crunch, and I absolutely love it that way.