#fresh lemon juice

With the days being consistently warmer and sunnier, one feels a keener appetite for light lunches of cold salads. But, as always, a salad, even meatless, needn’t be boring. This bright Green Rice Salad is the perfect example, and it can also make a very good picnic, should you go on an adventure this weekend! Happy Saturday!

Ingredients (serves 1 or 2):

• 1 small Green Onion
• ½ cucumber, rinsed
• a small, ripe avocado
• ½ large lemon
• 1 tablespoon Vinaigrette Dressing
• 1 ½ cup leftover brown rice, cold
• 30 grams/1 ounce Feta cheese

Finely chop Green Onion. Spoon chopped white part of the Green Onion into a medium bowl; save green part for sprinkling.

Cutcucumberinto slices, and halve these slices. Add to the bowl.

Peel, pit and dice avocado, and add to the bowl as well.

Thoroughly squeeze the juice of the lemon halve all over the green vegetables, and drizzle withVinaigrette Dressing. Add the cold brown rice, and toss gently to mix well and coat in Dressing. Crumble in Feta cheese, and gently toss, once more. 

Chill in the refrigerator, at least half an hour before serving.

ServeGreen Rice Salad cold, sprinkled with reserved chopped green part of the Green Onion.

This beautifully refreshing and delictely fragrant Gold Rush is the best of both worlds between a Bee’s Knees and a Whisky Sour. It is a particularly delightful cocktail to enjoy in the garden, on a sunny Spring afternoon, watching bees buzzing all over the blooms! Happy Friday!

Ingredients (serves 1)

• 8 ice cubes
• 60 millilitres/2 fluid ounces (4 tablespoons) Single Malt Whisky (some favour bourbon, but I reckon this drink benefits from the floral and herbal notes of The Glen Grant’s Arboralis)
• 30 millilitres/1 fluid ounce (2 tablespoons) Honey Syrup
• ½ lemon
• lemon twist, to garnish (optional)

Place six of the ice cubes in a shaker. Add Canadian whiskyandHoney Syrup.

Thoroughly squeeze the juice of the lemon halve, and pour into the shaker. Close tightly and shake energetically until well-chilled.

Place remaining ice cubes into a chilled rocks glass, and strain cocktailinto it.

Garnish with lemon twist, if desired.

EnjoyGold Rushimmediately!

This light and tasty Grapefruit, Prawn and Feta Salad makes an excellent and refreshing lunch on a sunny day. Perfect after a spot of gardening or flower-picking. Have a good one!

Ingredients (serves 1):

• ½ tablespoon linseed oil
• ½ tablespoon pure raw honey
• ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• a pinch of salt
• ½ lemon
• a dozen cooked (boiled or steamed) prawns, cooled
• a small Green Onion
• ½ cup broad beans
• 2 cups red leaf lettuce, rinsed
• ½ pink grapefruit
• 15 grams/½ ounce Feta Cheese

In a medium bowl, combine linseed oil andhoney. Add black pepper and just a pinch of salt. Give a good stir, to combine. Thoroughly squeeze in the juice of the lemon halve. Whisk until well-blended.

Peel the prawnsand add them to the bowl.

Finely chop Green Onion, and add to the bowl as well, saving a bit of the chopped green part, for garnish. Toss well to coat prawnsindressing. Place in the refrigerator, and chill, for at least half an hour.

Meanwhile,

Retrieve the prawnsfrom the refrigerator. Peel broad beans, and add to the bowl. Toss to combine and coat in dressing.

Roughly chop lettuceand add to the bowl. Scoop grapefruit flesh with a spoon, and add to the bowl as well. Toss gently, to mix.

Spoonsaladinto serving plate. Crumble Fetaon top, and sprinkle with reserved chopped green part of the Green Onion.

EnjoyGrapefruit, Prawn and Feta Salad with a glass of chilled dry white wine, like a South African Chardonnay or a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

ThisPoached Egg on Smoked Herring in Cream Sauce may be a mouthful, but it is a very simple, yet rather elegant, and absolutely comforting recipe! Excellent for dinner. Happy Wednesday!

Ingredients (serves 1):

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  
• ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
  
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• ½ small onion
• ½ cup double cream
• ½ cup dry white wine (like Sauvignon Blanc)
• 100 grams/3.5 ounces smoked herring fillets
• ½ lemon
• ¼ teaspoon fleur de sel or sea salt flakes
• ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

In a medium saucepan, filled to about three-quarters, bring water to a boil. Stir in apple cider vinegarandcoarse sea salt. Break the egginto a cup or a glass. Using a wisk, stir the waterto create a small whirlwind and drop the eggin the middle of it. Let it cook, 2 ½ minutes. Then, with a slotted spoon, gently transfer poached egg into a medium bowl filled with ice water andice cubes.

Meltbutterin a large, deep skillet over a medium flame.

Peel and finely slice onion. Once the butteris just foaming, stir in the onionand cook, a couple of minutes until softened. Stir in double creamandSauvignon Blanc. Bring to a simmmer, and add smoked herring fillets, skin-side up in the middle of the skillet. Squeeze the juice of the lemon all over the fish, and season with coarse sea salt and black pepper.

Simmer, over a medium flame, for a dozen minutes, stirring occasionnally until saucethickens slightly.

Once the herringsandsauceare ready, plunge poached egg back into the simmering poaching liquid to warm, 1 or 2 minutes. Lift out of the saucepan with the slotted spoon, and transfer to a warm plate or saucer.

ServeSmoked Herring in Cream Sauce into a plate. Top with Poached Egg, and serve immediately with toastedSourdough and a glass of chilled Sauvignon Blanc.