Twice this week, I have caught myself saying to myself (because I talk to myself a lot) "Salads are awesome, I love salad". Then I laugh at myself for being a massive dork who likes salad AND talks to myself about it. But it made me think about how often salad is done a great disservice as a food. Up until my mid twenties, I hated salad. Salad was boring. But the reason I felt this way, was that I, like many children of the '80s, grew up with "salad" that consisted of strips of iceburg lettuce and watery tomatoes. The classic school dinner salad. With salad creme on the side. Possibly also with Spam. So let's stop this right now. That stuff isn't salad. It's a very sad garnish with big ideas it hasn't got the backbone to live up to. Then I learned that salad could be made with leaves that don't taste of refrigerator and sadness. And you can add all sorts of awesome things to make it super tasty and satisfying. But those kinds of s

I am not a sporty person. When I was a kid I was never a priority for the team picking. It's not that I wasn't able, d espite the knee braces and nonsense , it was more that I didn't really care for it. My family don't "support a team", or play much sport. My brother played cricket, as a small child I found it intensely boring. My father sailed. My mum watches Wimbledon while knitting. I never really understood the appeal of watching someone else do sport, and none of the sports that were available to me interested me. You want the ball so badly? Have it! Why are you throwing it away? I thought you wanted it? I am not a sporty person. So it came to pass that I reached an age where my peers were getting into their competitive sports, with school teams and suchlike. But I wasn't on the teams. Not even the 3rd reserve team. I didn't mind because it just wasn't my bag. Those of us who didn't make the teams often referred to ourselves as