Lamb’s lettuce salad with parmesan, walnut and clementine, and ghosted by a gander

A possessive lady goose

I spent a few days in London in May and, rather unexpectedly, struck up a friendship with a remarkably handsome gander. It’s ironic that, despite living in a land practically overrun with ducks and geese, I had to travel to the city to find my poultry soulmate.

The gander took a shine to me almost immediately after I entered the park, accompanying me for quite some distance and even hopping up onto a bench beside me for a rest. I had his full and undivided attention until his girlfriend/significant other spotted us. Clearly unimpressed by the competition, she swiftly reclaimed her man in classic goose fashion: charging, honking, and generally causing a scene as though her life depended on it.

Stellar pick up lines

I then flew to Malta to visit Léo, who’s living there for a while. When I become engrossed in something, I have a tendency to hyper-focus so completely that, when I finally resurface, it takes me a few seconds to remember where I am and what I’m supposed to be doing.

On the flight, I was deeply absorbed in a book when I noticed the man sitting next to me looking as though he fancied a chat. Apparently, I attract men as well as poultry, so blearily emerging from my trance, I cheerfully asked him, ‘so, where are you going?’ An extremely odd question when you’re sitting on a plane.

Needless to say, he gave me a thoroughly bemused, slightly pitying, look before dropping me like a dead weight, much as my gander friend had done a few days before.

I’m not especially keen on Malta’s tourist-heavy north coast (though Valletta is absolutely stunning), and much prefer the quieter, more authentic south side, where Léo lives. We explored vineyards, rocky beaches, fishing villages, and the old fortified capital, Mdina, as well as taking a boat trip through the Blue Grotto sea caves.

Being a simple girl though (see above), one of my favourite evenings was spent sitting on the rocks eating ice cream while Léo practiced his newly discovered, and not yet entirely successful, passion for fishing.

Lamb’s lettuce has the highest iron content of all lettuces, and is rich in beta-carotene. It is also and excellent source of folate, potassium and magnesium.

Recipe for lamb’s lettuce salad with parmesan and clementine (serves 4)

• 100g lamb’s lettuce, washed
• 80g romaine lettuce, washed and chopped
• 2 clementines, peeled and segmented, then chopped
• 100g walnuts, chopped
• 25g parmesan, grated
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 60ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch of curry powder

Add the lamb’s lettuce, lettuce, clementines, walnuts and parmesan to a large salad bowl. Put the olive oil, lemon juice, seasoning and curry powder in a jam jar and shake well. Pour over the salad and toss.