Olive and celery tapenade, served with cucumber to satisfy the all our friends

A very vegan tapenade of olive and celery

Create a lighter olive tapenade by popping a stick of celery into the mix. Serve the results on cucumber rounds for an easy appetiser with a difference that suits just about anyone.

Tabouleh

I first met tabouleh when it appeared in a local bistro many years ago. Served as part of a chicken and tabouleh sandwich, it quickly became my favourite bought lunch. I’ve since learned how to make it, and it appears a few times over summer, especially at barbecues and parties.

Salad from my garden

Just outside the back door, there’s a lawn of self-sown baby spinach, the last lettuce before winter, a cucumber, and tomatoes from the few bushes that survived a hot, dry summer. Add some balsamic vinegar and olive oil. There’s lunch. Simple food can satisfy even the most sensuous of souls. A recipe in a neat 50…