Hopefully, it will be the last cold front of the year.  But I won’t hold my breath.

Spring has always been my favourite season.  I love how days gradually get warmer, and how tiny green buds push through grey branches.  When I see the swallows circling overhead, I know that Winter is finally over. 

On Saturday the 1st of September, I attended a High Tea at a beautiful boutique hotel in Kimberley.  The event was in aid of Reach for a Dream and it was themed “Florals and High Heels”.  The ladies of Kimberley dressed in their prettiest frocks to listen to the sweet piano sounds of Pedro Kruger. 

As I watched the ladies laugh (and cry…) I was struck by the feeling in the air.  The excitement and energy of a new season were almost palpable.  I am very well aware that October-itis will strike us all next month:  you know, feelings of tiredness, irritability, anxiousness and a general sense of wishing the working or school year would be over so you could finally take a break!

But for now, as nature is waking from its Winter sleep, let’s enjoy the sense of optimism and new beginnings!

SIMPLY NIGELLA – SALMON, AVOCADO AND PUMPKIN SEED SALAD

Simply Nigella is one of Nigella Lawson’s latest offerings.  She has since published another cookbook (honestly, how does she do it!) but this book has a “gentler” tone than her previous books and the food is nourishing and good for you.  Like this salad.  Ideally, you would want the weather a bit warmer when you serve it, but it’s delicious any time of the year!

SERVES 2 (AS A MAIN COURSE)

2 salmon fillets (I used two substantial pieces of trout)

2 spring onions, trimmed

1 teaspoon of black peppercorns

The juice of a lime

2 teaspoons sea salt flakes

3 tablespoons of pumpkin seeds

100 g watercress (I used mixed salad leaves)

1 teaspoon cloudy apple cider vinegar (I used a good squeeze of lemon)

1 small ripe avocado

1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Put the salmon fillets in a medium frying pan and cover with cold water.  Add the whole spring onions, peppercorns, lime juice and salt and bring to the boil, uncovered.  When the pan is bubbling, turn the fillets over, remove from the heat and leave to stand for 7 minutes (trust me, exactly 7 minutes will do the trick). Take the fillets out of the liquid and leave to cool.  Take off the skin.

For the salad, toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry pan, keeping an eye on them – they burn easily! Once they start to pop, remove them from the heat and transfer them to a cool bowl or plate.

To assemble the salad, put the salad leaves/watercress on a large platter, sprinkle with the apple cider vinegar/lemon juice and toss.  Break the salmon apart into bite-size pieces with a fork and arrange on the salad leaves.  Scoop out spheres of avocado with a teaspoon and add to the salad.  Drizzle over the olive oil, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle over the pumpkin seeds.

To make it more substantial, serve it with a few soft-boiled or poached eggs on top!

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ooOoo