16 June 2012

I LOVE WEEKEND LUNCHES

Most weekends year round we head to the beach house where everything about life is almost perfect. My kitchen is a dream - plenty of room, the best equipment and possibly the sunniest spot overlooking a breathtaking view of the ocean.

I head to the Matakana market on Saturday morning and every week I find fresh and interesting produce to whip up a plateful of fresh salad that makes lunch the easiest meal of the week.You don't need too much imagination to do that. I was delighted to find mussels that had been steamed yesteday and bottled in sea water - hooray for no oversweetened marinade!

Watercress sprouts, new hard-boiled eggs, mussels, steamed haricots vertes (From Lum & Co) and some diced tomato. The dressing: local limes and local olive oil. Eating in the warm sunshine and sheltered from the southerly, I almost felt for a minute or two it was summer.