Enjoying food and wine, again

I was lucky today to be able to take time to enjoy the glorious sunny weather. I pottered in the garden, attended to a few basic tasks, shopped without pressure at Waitrose and could watch Bomble and his kitten friend, Illiam, flopping about on the hot patio stone.

Helena had requested Salade Niçoise for supper tonight, after a long gin and tonic, and brief lie down. She's had a busy and tiring working week and deserves a bit of pampering.

I consulted Elizabeth David for a refresher course in making the salad, which meant I had to go shopping for some anchovies and found a Provencal sourced bottle of the little beauties. I've spent very many wonderful holidays in parts of Provence since I was eleven years old and I do miss the weather, the ambience and the light, but especially the food. We talked tonight about going back to stay near the coast at Bormes-les-Mimosas, but will need to borrow my Mum's oldest friend's little home there.

Days like these are what I remember from springtimes spent near Avignon, where my parents had a house. Bright blue sky, not too hot days and warm extended evenings. So in both remembrance and expectation, here was what I rustled up tonight, and we've now finished all of it, and even more wine.

Bon appetit, mes amis!