Let there be light lunches!

The last few days as my stomach returns to normal and the gastric juices flow more calmly, the order of the day has been for light lunches – and yesterdays was a typical one in our household. A good buffalo mozzarella from a local farm – Laverstock, which has its own magnificent buffaloes and produces all sorts of amazing products, including buffalo ice cream! – sharing a plate with my favourite tomatoes – baby san manzarnos, a variety of salad leaves including chard, escarole, red oak leaf and baby beet greens with a drizzle of balsamic crema al limone, a little rock salt and a grind of black pepper. Then just a simple platter of porchetta from Modena in Italy and some more serrano ham. My kids also adore fennel so we try to always have slices of those on such a table with a little lemon juice and olive oil.

And what I love about such lunches is that they are slow, easy and generate lots of great conversation – people can take their time.

The table is the best place to be – apart from the kitchen!