A Spring Barbeque
You might be able to tell that I’m only slightly obsessed with avocados at the moment. I shopped at our local green grocer earlier this week and was excited to find avocados on sale for 49cents each. I can’t remember the last time I saw them so economically priced in the South Island!
I raced home not only excited by my haul of avocados but also by the beauty and quality of the spring produce coming into season. Beetroot, cucumber, asparagus, peppers – it was such a feast for the eyes with all of that colour!
To celebrate the arrival of daylight savings we enjoyed our first barbeque of the season and dined alfresco. Although we were wrapped up in warm jumpers! Despite the sun lingering for longer there was still snow on the hills over yonder.
We enjoyed wild venison sausages which my husband gathered with my dad up the valley, a delicious spring salad packed with raw beetroot, avocado, spinach and feta along with rosemary & paprika peppers. It definitely tasted all the more delicious eating outside on the grass with Hank patiently waiting for us to feed him a little bit of our spring feast. Lucky for him we’re obliging dog owners!
I quite often use my favourite dressing made from olive oil, maple syrup, mustard and lemon juice to dress salads and this little baby is no exception – it works a treat in this salad! You’ll find the full recipe here:
Happy Spring!
Spring Salad
2 handfuls baby spinach
1 large beetroot, grated
2 large carrots, grated
½ cucumber, cut into smallish pieces
1 avocado, cut into similar sized pieces as the cucumber
¼ cup feta, crumbled
Lemon and Mustard dressing (recipe link here)
Layer the vegetables in a serving bowl starting with the spinach followed by the beetroot, carrot, cucumber and finally the avocado and feta.
Pour over the dressing and enjoy!
Rosemary & Paprika Peppers
2 peppers, halved with core and seeds removed (I used 1 yellow and 1 red pepper)
4 stalks rosemary
2 tspns smoked paprika
Coarse iodised sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbspn olive oil
Lay the peppers cut side up on a board
Cut a small slit in each side of the pepper halves and insert in the rosemary stalk into each slit so it lays across the width of each pepper half
Sprinkle over the paprika, salt, pepper and oil
Barbeque on each side until cooked to your liking
Enjoy!
