As a child, the seaside was everything I could ever long for and more. The seafront would change wherever we went, whether it be the arcades of Great Yarmouth’s promenade or the prim tea shops of Southwold, however, those white horses galloping towards the shore would always remain the same. Maybe if I’d ventured down to the blue waters of Cornwall I would have seen the English sea in a different light, however, living out my adventuring days in East Anglia ensured the sea was always a grey and grumbling creature.
It lived up to its ever inhospitable reputation last week when we took a visit to the lovely town of Aldburgh. Insistent on going for a swim I donned my bikini underneath my clothes – as we all know, once the swim suit has been put on, there’s absolutely no turning back. Despite the warm day the sea held the demeanour of a rather pissed off animal and struck me with its icy claws as soon as I entered the water. Needless to say, I didn’t venture any further than knee deep.
Exercise for the day complete, we went off in search of fish and chips – not that you have to venture far in Aldburgh – the Golden Galleon is renown for being absolutely incredible and it definitely did not disappoint.
Oh, to spend a day at the seaside on a sunny summer’s day – it really is a delight….however, call me crazy but as much as I adore this time of year, I am quite eager for autumn to turn up. As soon as the blackberries blacken and grow plump I get quite eager to welcome the burnishing gold leaves and ripening apples. I know, I know, when I’m shivering in my student house I’ll be longing for warmth, but I must admit to falling at the knees of autumn.
Although don’t worry, we DO still have a good few weeks of summer to enjoy so light up the BBQs and consider this delicious couscous dish from James Martin’s ‘Masterclass’ as a worthy addition to the salad table. It’s such a summery recipe with its zesty tang and warm spiced undertones. I can imagine it would be beautiful with sausages or grilled veggies. In fact, it’s so perfect that it’s really rather surprising that I randomly fell upon it whilst taking part in Dom’s Random Recipe Challenge….maybe it was a sign that I should resist the lure of autumn for at least a few more weeks…
James Martin’s Moroccan Spiced Couscous With Honey And Almonds
Ingredients
-25g butter
-2 shollots, peeled and diced
-½ tsp ground ginger
-½ ground coriander
-1 tsp ground cumin
-1 cinnamon stick
-100g flaked almonds
-100ml runny honey
-½ red chilli, diced
-1 clove of garlic, diced
-4 tomatoes, deseeded and diced
-175g couscous
-500ml vegetable or chicken stock
-50g chopped coriander
-Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
-Salt and black pepper
- Melt the butter in a frying pan and add the shallots, ground spices and the cinnamon stick and fry for 1 minute
- Add the almonds and keep mixing for 3-4 minutes
- Add the honey, chilli, garlic and tomatoes. Simmer for 2 minutes. Pour into a large serving bowl.
- Add the couscous, then bring the stock to the boil and carefully pour over the coucous. Cover and leave for 5 minutes.
- Once the couscous has absorbed all the liquid, fluff up with a fork, then stir in the coriander, lemon juice and zest, season with salt and pepper and serve.
To The Table 