Here we are my friends! My last recipe for the year. (a delicious one too!). It's rather amazing how fast the year has wrapped up. The beginning of December feels like yesterday.

I must confess that I'm SO excited for the upcoming holiday. It's been a glorious 6 months, with the arrival of our beautiful daughter Diana and being blessed with wonderful clients and work but I'm pretty darn shattered. I'm ready to sign off from social media for a few weeks and just enjoy the simple things. A long holiday at the family beach cabin in the far North is exactly my little family needs. Lots of barefoot, salty, sandy time.

My Christmas menu this year will include a bunch of gorgeous fresh salads (plus some slow-roasted lamb). This one will be definetely making an appearance. It's loaded up with some of my favourite flavours. Sweet, roasted fennel, crisp asparagus, rich smoked salmon, crunchy sourdough and a preserved lemon dressing that is utter heaven. I designed it to be enjoyed with my favourite sauvignon blanc from Nautilus Estate. I've written a Christmas menu this season for Nautilus. You can find the other recipes HERE and HERE. It's been such fun putting it together. The combination of great wine and tasty food is unbeatable.

if you don't manage to land this one on your Christmas table this year, keep it in mind for all those summer BBQs and sunny picnics. Try it with roasted chicken or bbq'd fish.

With a big virtual hug, I'll sign off for the year. Thank you SO much for reading and cooking along with me. It means the world to have a loverly community of readers. The support for my book this year was especially amazing. I'll be back online around mid-January. Can't wait to share more deliciousness with you then! Kelly xo

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Asparagus, fennel & salmon salad with preserved lemon dressing and sourdough croutons.

Serves 6 as a side

2 medium bulbs fennel

2 slices sourdough bread – cut into cubes

Olive oil for drizzling

1 bunch thin asparagus

150g smoked salmon slices

100g rocket leaves

Dressing

½ preserved lemon – pulp removed

1 small garlic clove

¼ cup olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

½ teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon coconut sugar (could also use brown sugar)

Sea salt and cracked black pepper

Place all the dressing ingredients into a small jug. Use a hand blender to blitz. Season to taste. Set aside until ready to use. The dressing will naturally separate. Simply stir before use.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees..

Trim the fennel and cut into wedges (retain a little of the fronds for garnishing). Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, mix well. Roast for 30 minutes, tossing once. Leave to cool.

Drizzle the sourdough cubes with a little oil. Season with salt and pepper and bake for 15 minutes.

Pour boiling water over asparagus. Drain after 4 minutes and run under cold water to halt cooking (and retain the bright colour). Lay on a tea towel to absorb excess moisture.

To assemble: Toss the rocket with half the dressing. Scatter over a large platter. Top with the remaining ingredients, drizzle with more dressing as desired and garnish with a little finely diced fennel fronds. A good grind of cracked black pepper on top is lovely too.

Serve immediately.