Bowl them over: Bill Granger's sensational summer salads

Pot-luck entertaining means everyone brings something to the party. But don't worry what your salad says about you, says Bill Granger: turn up with one of these and you're on to a winner.

Summertime and the living is easy. At least it should be, especially when it comes to entertaining. In Australia we have the "pot luck" or "bring a plate" tradition and most cultures have their own equivalent when it comes to casual social gatherings. It certainly makes sense. And, thank goodness, we've all moved on from those sweaty pasta and rice salads of the 1970s – with copious amounts of mayonnaise and optional tinned peas and sweetcorn. These days the salad you bring says more about you than the clothes you're wearing – I jest, but you know what I mean. Whether you go the farmers' market, Asian or substantially earthy route, keep it fresh and diverse.

Bill's restaurant, Granger & Co, is at 175 Westbourne Grove, London W11, tel: 020 7229 9111, grangerandco.com

Warm potato, pepper and chorizo salad

This is a crowd-pleasing combination that has become a modern classic, made even livelier with this aniseedy dressing.

Serves 6 as part of a spread

1kg/2lb baby new potatoes
200g/7oz chorizo, sliced
2 red onions, thinly sliced
290g/10oz jar piquillo or roasted peppers, drained and chopped
Large handful green olives, chopped

For the dressing

2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp sherry vinegar
1 garlic clove, crushed
Zest of 1 orange
2 tsp fennel seeds, toasted and lightly bashed
Flat-leaf parsley, chopped, to serve

First make the dressing: mix the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, orange zest and fennel seeds with lots of salt and freshly ground black pepper then set aside while you make the rest of the dish.

Now cook the potatoes in boiling, salted water until just tender. Drain and allow to steam-dry. Break any larger potatoes into smaller chunks.

Fry the chorizo and onions in a large, non-stick frying pan over a medium heat for 8 minutes or until the onions are soft and oils have been released from the sausage. Remove from the heat and stir through the peppers.

Assemble the salad while everything is still a little warm, tossing the dressing through the potatoes, chorizo, onion and peppers. Just before serving, scatter with olives and flat-leaf parsley and a glug of olive oil. Eat with lots of good bread to soak up the juices.

Tiger prawn, watermelon and herb salad

As soon as there are a few rays of sunshine, watermelon seems to appear everywhere these days, from Martinis to... well, salads like this one. Cool, refreshing and pleasingly pink and green, it's verging on addictive.

Serves 6 as part of a spread

320g/11oz pre-cooked tiger prawns, halved
800g/1½lb watermelon, flesh scooped with a spoon
75g/3oz roasted cashew nuts, roughly chopped
½ bunch basil, leaves picked
½ bunch mint, leaves picked
½ bunch coriander, leaves picked

For the dressing

1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp light-flavoured oil
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 chilli, finely sliced
3 spring onions, finely sliced
Pinch white sugar

Start by making the dressing: place all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine. Balance the flavours with more of the fish sauce or sugar as suits your and your guests' taste.

Now pile the prawns and watermelon on to your serving platter. Just before serving, add the cashews and herbs then pour over the dressing. Serve immediately with any leftover dressing.

Heritage tomatoes, feta and wild sumac salad

Heritage tomatoes are still going strong and this fragrant Middle-Eastern dressing compliments them. Proof that there can be perfection in simplicity.

Serves 6 as part of a spread

3 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, sliced
75g/3oz sourdough bread, torn into small pieces
Handful of mint leaves, torn roughly
700g/1¼lb mixed heritage tomatoes, washed
100g/3½oz feta, crumbled
Extra-virgin olive oil, to drizzle
>1 tsp wild sumac

Heat half the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, add the garlic and sizzle for 1 minute until turning golden and fragrant, then remove with a slotted spoon.

Add the bread and the remaining oil and cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring frequently until the bread is crunchy and golden. Tip into a bowl, allow to cool slightly and then use a wooden spoon to bash into rough crumbs. Toss through the garlic and mint and set aside.

Slice the larger tomatoes into rounds and arrange on a platter with other, smaller, whole tomatoes. Scatter the feta generously over the top, add a good glug of extra-virgin olive oil and season well. Sprinkle with sumac and scatter crunchy bread bits over the top before serving.

Food preparation: Rosie Reynolds

Props merchandising: Rachel Jukes