I am feeling decidedly un-spring-like. It’s cold. Hey!
Mother Nature, don’t you know what the date is?
After an amazing pseudo-summer that tricked the trees into
flowering and us into wearing sandals, our Cape Town Jack Frost is having the
last laugh and treating us to the odd day of swirling rain and gum-boot ‘n
brolly weather.
We still have a fire in the evening no matter how balmy the
day and there’s still that chill on the almost-sprung spring air.
So what’s for supper? I still feel like something
comforting, but massive roasts and heaps of mash seem like too much now. Risotto? Lasagne? Hmmm, also pretty heavy.
I think the secret to eating in-between seasons is… the ingredients.
You can still make beautiful meals that don’t stick to your
ribs for days but also don’t zip through you in minutes, leaving
you with that I’ll-have-to-eat-my-hand feeling.
How about this luscious roast tomato soup with garlic pitas
– the gorgeous love apples are roasted for a more robust flavour and the
garlic pitas will fill the chilly gap.
Or this carrot, coriander and orange soup
– it’s fresh with a zap of orange and perky coriander.
You can still go roasty whilst keeping it a little lighter,
like this roasted pumpkin and chicken salad.
Or try this lovely beetroot and green bean salad
for one of those cool sunny days.
How about the fanciful tart? Oh yes, this wonderful asparagus
and crispy bacon tart
is a happy choice or try this fruity apple tart
for some sweetness.
Or a cheeky quiche? Try this biltong and blue cheese quiche,
it’s simple and really packs a taste punch. This potato crust quiche with
mozzarella cheese tomato and olives
is a tummy warmer. Serve it with a green salad to cut through the intensity.
You see, it’s easy to use in-betweener ingredients, whilst
keeping the dish lighter.
And if you’re still feeling lost in the warm folds of
winter, I suggest you get your big trays
out and make my lamb knuckles in tomatoes and red wine and stay in happy hibernation.
Love in-between,