Bees and Geraniums

Collecting Earwigs

Our City Garden

Grated Carrot Salad

At last a balmy evening. Sunshine at seven, bumble bees gathering on the geraniums, Imi collecting earwigs and just the moment for a bit of outdoor eating.

I feel like a goose being fattened up nicely for Christmas except that, rather depressingly, we’re at the other end of the year and just warming up for baring it all on a beach (well not the tummy – I judiciously dropped the bikini about 5 years ago). I’m having a fantastic time taking part in the judging for The Bristol Good Food Awards : tapas tasting, bacon-butty sampling and savoring more three course dinners than most of us would do in a year. I know you’re not feeling sorry for me, I’m not expecting you to, in fact I’m loving the whole experience –  just dreading the beached-whale holiday snaps.

So what to do? I suppose that the 5:2 diet might be an option but that takes some organisation and discipline, neither of which are my strong points. Instead I’m opting for some very simple salads between my belly-stretching banquets.

I was thrilled to find the huge bunch of carrots in my vegetable box, as were Winnie and Bud (the guineas) who love the ferny tops. I decided to take the “less is more” approach. Years ago, in the ritzy arcade next to Milan’s duomo, amongst the glitsy Pradas, Guccis, D&Gs and Puccis, I popped in to an old fashioned café for their menù del giorno. My starter, whisked in through velvet curtains by the white-aproned waiter, was quite simply a salad of grated carrot, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt. Simplicity itself, I shall never forget it.

Pure and Simple Carrot Salad (per person)
2 very tasty carrots , grated finely
1-2 tbsp of the very best extra virgin olive oil
lemon juice and salt to taste.

Throw it together, taste and balance. I added plenty of freshly ground black pepper too.
Not a recipe at all, just a reminder of how good simple food can be.

And by all means add:
Walnuts, raisins, toasted sesame, sunflower or pumpkin seeds. Herbs such as mint or chives and anything else that takes your fancy.