Unlike many people who love summer time for sun, sea and holidays or winter for Christmas and mulled wine, my favourite time of the year is spring. I suppose a large part of that is due to fond memories of my birthday, which falls in March, walking round the countryside with my Nan and popping over to the fields to see the newborn little lambs, and of course Easter, which has always been a special family occasion for me very similar to Christmas but without all the expense and stress so often experienced during the festive season nowadays.
The first time that the sun appears and daffodils and tulips start re-appearing in the same place that I planted them when I was a nipper, I know spring has arrived and I’m ready for some traditional seasonal recipes such as lamb and leek and potato soup.
My warm spring-time salad is perfect for lunch following a walk round the lanes and fills you up just enough that you still have room for a delicious toasted Hot Cross Bun with lashings of butter afterwards.
Happy Easter everyone!
Ingredients
- Courgette
- Yellow pepper
- Half a sweet potato finely sliced
- Sprinkle of fresh or dried basil
- Sliced apple
- Sprinkle of fresh or dried sage
- 3 spring onions chopped
- Mixed salad
- Pine nuts
- Olive oil
- Balsamic vinegar
- Honey to drizzle at the end
- Salt and pepper
- Heat some olive oil in a frying pan, toss in the sweet potato slices and fry until it starts to soften.
- Add the spring onions, pepper and courgette and fry for around 5-6 minutes on a low heat.
- Sprinkle the mix with the basil and sage and mix well.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Toss in some pine nuts and stir well into the vegetable juices until starting to brown.
- Introduce the apple slices to the mix and leave for one minute.
- Get the salad ready in a bowl and season with basil, pepper and a good drizzle of balsamic vinegar.
- Mix the vegetable mixture in with the salad and throw in a few more pine nuts on the top.
- Drizzle with a generous helping of honey and serve.
Tummy Happy 