Salad for my Queen Mum!

On Sunday we held a brunch to celebrate all the lovely mothers in my family. As I have an insatiable need for baking at the moment we held at our house and so I got to spend all of Saturday and Sunday in the kitchen!
On the baking menu:

• Beautiful wholewheat banana bread (adapted from the wonderful Dana)

• Blueberry muffins (thanks to 'The Joy of Vegan Baking')
• Olive and oregano drop scones
• Baked mini cheesecakes (not very happy with the recipe so I won't waste webspace)

As for the non-baked items we had: smoked salmon, baked chicken breasts, avocado and my Queen Mum Salad. I made this salad a few weeks ago for the Royal Wedding and I really wanted to repeat it for this celebration. Today I thought I would share the recipe for Queen Mum salad (if you can have a recipe for a salad)

Queen Mum Salad

This salad is lovely and fresh with lots of different flavours and can be tweaked a little depending on what is in season and what is in your cupboard.

Firstly, take 1 bunch of asparagus and chop off woody ends, and top and tail a large handful of green beans.
Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil and then add the asparagus and beans. Cook for two minutes and then remove immediately using a slotted spoon. Rinse in cold water to refresh. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Then take the following ingredients and gently toss them together in your favourite salad bowl with the prepared asparagus and beans:

• 200 gram packet of gourmet lettuce
• 20 green olives, cut in half
• Small jar of baby artichokes marinated in brine
• 1 small avocado, cubed
• 1/3 cup of pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 cup of walnut halves roughly chopped

I chose to just dress this salad very simply with a drizzle of grapeseed oil and some oil from a jar of sundried tomatoes. You can leave it naked or try your favourite vinaigrette instead.

A few weeks ago my sister and I set out for the coast early in the morning to watch the sunrise over the beach. As the sun came up that morning it blew the mist off a sea that was churning and carried an early autumn chill. I love walking along the beach in the morning, there is something in the rhythm of the waves that sets my heart to beat correctly for the rest of the day.

Footprints from the younger and older chic chickpeas

All the beautiful Chic Chickpea ladies in my family.



I am so lucky to have these beautiful women in my family, each of them has taught me so much and continues to inspire me every day. On the bottom row (from left to right): My Aunty Lone, my Mormor (Danish for grandmother) and my Mummy! On the top row (from left to right) my cousin Grace, myself and my sister Jess. I love you Mum, all that you have meant to me in the past as protector, teacher, provider, mentor, best hug giver, and cheerleader and for all that you continue to become to me, especially as our lives become so different and as our relationship grows into something new and even stronger. Thank you for everything.

So, rather a random collection today but these are the little things that have been going on in the life of the Chic Chickpea. Tomorrow I have a decadent recipe with a surprise ingredient!