lavender lunches

With my hair tied in a messy low bun, the warm summer breeze blows my sun bleached hair across my face as I pick a bouquet to decorate our table for lunch time. A raw mix of olive branches, rosemary and lavender that grow right beneath your feet is a rarity that excites me to the core as it smells divine and looks simplistically natural. We set the white linen on the table and decorate the rest with olive branches as the lush pergola gives us shade from the hot day air of about +35 celsius degrees. We prepare a fresh summer country-esq salad with Italian flair with a fiery vinaigrette that is perfect for hot days. The kitchen smells of garlic, rosemary and sage as the homemade croutons are frying away, while we sip on some dry local vino and enjoy our slow cooking moments in the midst of Umbria.

Ingredients for a summer style Italian Salad

• cantaloupe melon
• parma ham
• figs
• pecorino
• home-made croutons (fry stale bread in rosemary, sage, garlic, olive oil, salt)
• Spinach leaves
• basil
• jalapeno stuffed olives

vinaigrette: combine lemon juice, strong mustard, olive oil and a bit of sugar.