Fresh Tomato and Zucchini Salad

An antidote to reality aversion

“Today began with the loud rumbling noise of machines out front of our house. The kind of noise that vibrates through the floor and walls with a not so gentle rumble reaching into your chest and bones. The kind of noise you hear in the suburbs. We’re home.

Home from the long languid days spent by the sea where our biggest decision was whether to go for another walk on the beach, salty sea water lapping at our ankles, or to read another chapter of a book. Pondering our next stop on the journey or to stay another day where we were. Home from ‘the road,’ from the escapist days at large and home to reality.

I’ve learnt a few things about myself and life on the road, even at 52. But one of these lessons it appears is an aversion to reality. I’d planned on writing here more often. I was loose in my plan but was certain I could create at least four newsletters, maybe even more. I was also certain I could read more professional development books and work on plans for the year ahead. I was ambitious, as I often am. Perhaps not the good kind of ambition though. I leaned more into the procrastination, avoided reality and lived a seaside utopian kind of life. Perhaps this isn’t so much a lesson as a reminder. I’m pretty sure I was already painfully aware of my simmering laissez faire undercurrent masked by genuine ambition but equally aware of my conviction I ‘could do it.’ “

I wrote that over a week ago. Perhaps more fortuitous and insightful than, even then, I acknowledged. Again trying to return to our regular catch ups, here I am. December, however is piling on me. Returning from our ‘come what may’ life to suburban pre-Christmas is startling in its ferocity, I’ve felt like a deer in the head lights. It’s taken some time to acknowledge the inevitable and get in the swing of things, bringing out all the Christmas cookbooks, stocking up on all the spices, dried fruits and the like and pondering a menu that inevitably never changes. That said I still don’t have the Christmas tree adorning my living room, that’s for the weekend. Our boys come home for the festive season next week, I’m super excited to see them. My husband could easily fall into the trap of not bothering with decorations with the lack of little people in our lives. I, on the other hand couldn’t do it, it simply wouldn’t feel Christmassy. So we’ll bring everything out, hang the tinsel garlands, festoon the tree with years of decorations both handmade and gifted, light the tree and crown it all with the inevitable star. Come what may we’re hopping aboard that metaphorical Christmas train.

Aside from the ‘big day’ of Christmas tables heaving with a festive cornucopia of all our traditional favourites, this period is usually a time spent dining outdoors for us. Trying to capture that leisurely holiday spirit found in long sunny days with warm breezes sweeping across our deck always characterises January. Usually a holiday time for us we return some way during the month and I remain caught up in that camping holiday spirit, cooking outdoors with something simple to accompany our meal that didn’t require much preparation, much like a holiday. This year, that summer spirit has returned home with us. Dinners served later than usual, though not always outside with summer’s later than usual arrival. Simple fare with fresh new season flavours dictating the menu. We travelled like this, sourcing what was available locally that looked the most flavourful and interesting, following our noses and palates if you will. Tomatoes plump, shiny and fragrant from a young woman who’s passion in sharing the flavoursome summer globes oozed from her every pore as generously as the fruit’s juice. Zucchinis, from another farmer who lives and breathes his market garden, who threw a few of his prized avocados in my bag as a gesture of thanks for visiting his stall and the lemons fresh and zingy like sunshine in my hand their perfume fluttering up as I cut them and squeeze their juice liberally across a salad. All that summery goodness after a visit to a farmer’s market on the shores of the sea where the clarence river meets the Pacific Ocean.

This is summer, this is what Christmas heralds for me. I’m not a religious person, but I love the spirit of the season, regardless of how you observe this time of year no matter where you are in the world, irrespective of who you break bread with and no matter how fraught the lead up can be, it’s a wonderful time of year. For me it’s a time that draws us all together, to pause and reflect on the year and one to smile at memories, perhaps even with a tear or two at those not at the table. And here in the southern hemisphere a time of slower languorous days ended in warm breezes with a plate of freshness dictated by the season.

Like the recipes I shared with you from the road this one is also one created with instinct. You could add your own flair or follow along as I suggest below. It’s full of all the cheery colours of Christmas and is super quick and easy to assemble, perhaps one for you menu or even one to stash away for the coming warm nights and barbecues.

Ingredients:

1 generous sized Zucchini ends trimmed off sliced into ribbons with a vegetable peeler of mandolin

2 small to medium ripe tomatoes sliced into wedges

4 asparagus spears, woody ends broken off sliced lengthwise with a vegetable peeler

Fresh soft herb leaves such as basil, parsley and or dill. I used parsley and basil, you could use any favourites whose flavour you love

Gochugaru chili flakes or red pepper flakes

Salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

1 tb Extra virgin olive oil

Juice of a lemon

Method:

Prepare vegetables as detailed above. Assemble on suitably sized plate or medium sized platter. Start with the zucchini ribbons, tumbling them gently in the way satin ribbons would fall. Fold in the asparagus ribbons similarly followed by tomato slices placed in and out of the folds as pictured. Just before serving, sprinkle over the olive oil, lemon juice and seasonings to taste. The joy in this salad is the crisp crunch in the vegetables so dressing at the last minute is essential to preserve this.

You might also like to pop a plump serve of Burrata atop this salad just before dressing. The oozing cream will find its way through the threads of veg and add a whole other dimension.

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Finds and Forays

Though I enter every festive season with the pile of Christmas books at the ready I inevitably fall into the same menu, drawn by the comfort of a sense of tradition, and lets be honestly it’s just easier. I’ve ordered my Panettone for this favourite that’s largest eaten by me. As much as I love traditional fruit cake I tend to make this chocolate laced one as it’s a bigger hit and tastes like plum pud in a cake, and lets face it who’s going to argue with the queen.

We’ll be catching up with the extended fam a few days before Christmas for a beach BBQ. In keeping with the flavours of the season I’m going to try this gingerbread flavoured gooey bake, change is good right?

On the subject of beach holidays I buried my head in many books during our recent holiday, a few of my faves would make fantastic xmas pressies for bookworms if you’re still stuck. From the outset I’m going to be honest I’m not regularly a highbrow reader. For me reading is generally for relaxation and escapism. Sometimes I need something to dig my teeth into and be challenged by, but on hols I do love fluff. The Paris Cooking School was a wonderful story of a woman reconnecting with herself after divorce by treating herself to a few months in Paris learning to cook and live the French way. What’s not to love? It was a lovely read with a good pace and likeable characters. Another book of a similar theme was I Remember Paris, two woman at different stages in life rediscovering their mojo through a shared project again set in Paris in summer. One character super likeable the other not so much at first. I cheered and grimaced in equal measure, in the end cheering on both protagonists. Definitely a theme, maybe I need to start planning that dream trip. Finally another rollicking read set here in Melbourne was one called The Love Contract. I know, kitschy title but a super clever story. A couple of modern conundrums all rolled into one thread, it both gets you thinking and has you cheering for the main protagonists. One for everyone but particularly millennial readers in their 20’s/early 30’s.

I’ll be back next week in some form. I promise we’ll find our way back to our normal routine after Christmas.

Until then hang in there, we’re so close xx

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