A report came out recently–another report, I know!

It said a more effective way to keep our weight stable is by taking care with the way we eat–not be stuck counting the calories.

The recipe below is an example of how one can eat simply, healthily, deliciously and inexpensively.

Each to his/her own, of course, but for me, the dish would be COLD before I’d finished counting calories–and that’s assuming I could figure out HOW to count them.

Caulis are looking handsome at the moment with their big, open faces urging you to take them home.

When I checked the price, I didn’t need any persuading and bought a large organic one for just under three euros.

It stretched over two nights.

A simple gratin with juicy black olives one night…

Not much left!

and this equally simple soup with leeks, the next.

I had steamed the florets for the gratin–but hadn’t used them all. So I only had to soften the leeks before adding the cauliflower and the stock. (If you’re starting the soup from scratch, just add the raw cauliflower florets.)

Meredith was on a long internet conference call, so this made a perfect light supper for her in front of the computer.

She grew up thinking that cauliflower was the biggest DUD vegetable of all. Fortunately, she has had a conversion!

Cauliflower happens to be good for us–like its close relatives, broccoli, brussel sprouts and cabbage.

According to Mr. Google, one serving contains 77 percent of the recommended daily value of vitamin C. It’s also a good source of vitamin K, protein, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, magnesium, phosphorus, fiber, vitamin B6, folate, pantothenic acid, potassium and manganese.

So there!

We eat it because we LIKE it!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cauliflower–florets separated into medium sized bits
• 3 leeks–outer parts removed, cleared of dirt and sliced thinly
• 1 oz butter
• 3 tbs olive oil
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 liter organic vegetable stock (I use stock cubes.)
• salt & pepper

Melt the butter and oil in a large saucepan.

Add the leeks and sweat them gently, covered, until soft.

Add the cauliflower and bay leaves and mix well.

Pour in the stock and bring to the boil, then turn the temperature down.

Simmer until cauliflower is tender–not much more than ten minutes.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Lift out a few small florets and liquidize the rest.

Drop a few of the whole florets in each bowl when you serve the soup.

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Endive, walnut, sweet onion, radish, black olives, orange and feta salad

for 6/8

This wonderful spring salad–a perfect starter to the Easter meal–is from my first cook book, Delicious Dishes for Diabetics.

Beautiful to look at, it raises the spirits and whets the appetite.

Endive! There’s a stall in Castres market that sells only these seasonal white torpedoes. They are sweeter than the industrially grown ones available all the year round.

I buy more than I need for the salad–we’ll have them slow-roasted another day.

It’s an assembly job–and fun to do…

• Slice off the base of three endive–this will make it easier to pick off the individual spear like leaves.
• Dry roast walnuts—about 5oz  (a handful)– in a pan on top of the hob.
  
• Slice half a medium, sweet red onion as finely as possible.
• Slice a handful of radishes.
• Stone about 10 black olives and cut in half.
  
• Peel two juicy oranges by slicing off the top with a sharp knife and gingerly cut down through the peel top to bottom without cutting into the flesh. When you have completed the sphere–pull back the peel in each segment (very satisfying!)–and hey, presto! You have a neatly peeled orange. Now slice the orange horizontally into thick-ish pieces.
• Dice 4oz Feta cheese.
• Roughly chop a handful of parsley (optional)

Next make the vinaigrette for the salad:

• In a small screw top bottle put some freshly-grated pepper and a few pinches of salt.
• Add a tablespoon of red wine vinegar and 4 tbs olive oil.
• Shake it all about–and set aside.
• Now assemble the salad on a large platter that will show it off well (before you spoil it, by turning it all over in the vinaigrette).

This is how I arrange things:

• Define the arena by arranging spears round the bowl with the tips upward facing.
• Slice additional spears into twos or threes and scatter in the bottom of the bowl.
• Arrange the orange slices nicely over these.
• Scatter the sliced onion and radish over the orange and add the black olives.
• Scatter the feta round the bowl and finish with the walnuts and the parsley.
• Pour over the vinaigrette (after shaking it again) and present the result to the table before turning everything over–ruthlessly.
• We finished it at the lunch with several of the guests having seconds.

The rest of the menu for the

***

BIRTHDAY LUNCH

Roast leg of lamb with White Bean Gratin

Slow-roasted Tomatoes with rosemary and garlic

Roast Asparagus Spears

Freshly-made Apple, Mint and Onion Sauce

Milk Gravy

Panacotta —made by Meredith–served with mango, more orange chunks and blueberries

***

All the recipes (except the panacotta!) are in

Mediterranean Cooking for Diabetics.

One of the lunch guests, my old nemesis from Poldark days, Donald Douglas (aka Captain McNeil), decorated eggs for place-settings.

This is Meredith and me:

(Hair clippings provided by Donald’s horse)

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