Share and share alike: Mark Hix creates delicious summery starters to impress your guests Smoked mackerel, cucumber and caper salad Slightly cooked cucumber takes on a completely different flavour than when it is eaten raw. When it's prepared like this, it brings out the cucumber's sweetness and is delicious with smoked fish. 1 cucumber, cut in half lengthways with the seeds scooped out 3tbsp olive oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper The juice of 1 lemon 2tbsp capers, drained The fillets from 2 medium smoked mackerel, boned and skinned 1tbsp chopped parsley Cut the cucumbers into half-cm slices on the angle, heat a couple of tablespoons of the olive oil in a frying pan and cook the cucumbers for 3-4 minutes on a medium heat, without colouring, and seasoning as they are cooking until they begin to soften a little. Transfer to a bowl and leave to cool. Mix in the capers and lemon juice to taste and arrange on a serving dish. Break the mackerel into pieces on top, spoon over a little more oil and scatter over the parsley. Bloody Black Cow tomatoes My friends Archie and Jason Barber are local dairy farmers who have just launched Black Cow Vodka (blackcowvodka.wordpress.com), which is made from the excess whey in Childhay Manor, Broadwindsor in Dorset and which is the world's only pure milk vodka. It's damn good stuff and I've made a kind of Bloody Mary dressing here and served it spooned over these oxheart tomatoes which have a lovely ribbed exterior. If you can't get your hands on oxheart tomatoes, then large beef tomatoes will do. 2 large beef or oxheart tomatoes, cut into 1½-2cm thick slices 3-4tbsp rapeseed oil A few leaves of celery, shredded 1-2tbsp freshly grated horseradish For the dressing 3-4tbsp vodka, more if you wish 1tbsp Worcestershire sauce Tabasco to taste 2tbsp tomato juice Celery salt to taste 2tbsp rapeseed oil Heat the rapeseed oil in preferably a non-stick frying pan and fry the tomato slices for about 2-3 minutes on each side on a high heat, until they are lightly coloured, and then transfer them to a serving dish with a fish slice or spatula, reserving any pan juices. To make the dressing, whisk all of the ingredients together along with the pan juices and season with celery salt. Spoon the dressing over the tomatoes and then scatter over the shredded celery leaves and grated horseradish. Green bean and bacon salad This is a delightfully simple salad to have a bowl of as a starter or a main course in the middle of the table to share. I've used runner beans here which I have just briefly blanched, but you could also use a mixture of beans and peas if you wish. A couple of large handfuls of small tasty salad leaves and herbs 10-12 runner beans, finely shredded on the angle 2tbsp vegetable or corn oil 100-150g bacon, cut into ½cm dice or use ready-cut pancetta or bacon pieces 3 x 1cm thick slices of bread, cut into rough 1cm square croutons Salt and freshly ground black pepper For the dressing 1tbsp cider or white wine vinegar ½tbsp Dijon mustard 2tbsp vegetable or corn oil 2tbsp olive oil ½tbsp chopped tarragon Cook the beans in boiling salted water for about a minute then drain in a colander. Whisk all of the ingredients together for the dressing and season to taste. Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan and cook the bacon pieces for 2-4 minutes, turning them as they are cooking until they are crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on some kitchen paper, leaving the oil in the pan. Fry the cubed bread in the oil, turning them as they are cooking, until they are golden; then remove and drain on the paper with the bacon. To serve, toss the salad leaves with the dressing, beans and bacon, season and transfer to a serving bowl and scatter the croutons over. Caponata with mozzarella Caponata is delicious served as a sharing dish or you could try matching it up with mozzarella or creamy burrata. For the caponata 2 medium aubergines, cut into rough 1cm cubes Vegetable oil for frying 4-5 sticks of celery, any stringy stalks peeled, cut into rough 1cm pieces 4-5tbsp olive oil 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped 1 x 225g can of chopped tomatoes Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1tbsp caster sugar 75ml white wine vinegar 1tbsp grated dark chocolate, minimum 70 per cent cocoa solids 40g salted capers, rinsed in cold water 12 large green olives, stoned and quartered 200-250g burrata or mozzarella A handful of Greek or normal basil, torn A little extra virgin olive oil First make the caponata: heat some vegetable oil in a frying pan until very hot and cook the aubergines in a couple of batches, stirring every so often, until they are golden; then remove with a slotted spoon and dry on kitchen paper. Fry the celery pieces in the oil left in the pan, or a little more if necessary, and dry on kitchen paper. Gently cook the onion in the olive oil in a thick-bottomed saucepan for 2-3 minutes, until soft. Add the tomatoes, season and simmer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the sugar and vinegar in a saucepan, add the chocolate, capers and olives and heat the mixture, stirring until the chocolate has melted. Add to the tomato mixture and simmer for another 5 minutes. Add the aubergines and celery to the sauce; continue to simmer for 20 minutes. Leave to cool to room temperature then transfer to a serving dish. Break the burrata on to the caponata or leave it whole, scatter the basil over and drizzle with a little olive oil.