From Italy via Kirkwall ….

Memories are linked to sights and sounds and smells - but also to taste, and we have  so many recipes that remind us of our travels. There’s the courgette and pasta dish from a tiny restaurant in Turkey, for example, and the coconut and lime smoothie from Colombia - though the true recipe for this remains elusive despite our numerous efforts to get it right. 

Tonight’s meal is definitely Italian - Conchiglie con Ruccola - but it comes with memories of Kirkwall. We loved the Lucano restaurant there and when I had this dish and said how much I liked it, they kindly wrote down the recipe for me - rocket, garlic, tomatoes, oregano, avocado, chilli, black olives, mozzarella, all mixed in with warm pasta and copiously drizzled with olive oil. Simple and delicious - an ideal meal to serve between the men’s final at Wimbledon and tonight’s Euro final. 

And please don’t read anything into Italian being the cuisine of choice tonight; we’re actually supporting England. 

I’ve very nearly caught up with journals now - and realised how many wonderful entries I’ve missed. The problem when you’re playing catch-up is you just don’t have enough hearts …..