Little Balls of Sunshine

My latest culinary obsession is oranges. They are like little balls of sunshine to me, splashes of vivid colour in the morning in the kitchen, and the zesty smell pricks at your nose as soon as you start to ease the peel back. Surely one of those rare fruits that satisfies all the senses- the bumpy skin, the smell, the taste, and, if you listen carefully, the noise the first spray of fine juice between the peel and the pith. My favourite way to eat them at the moment is to peel one, denude it of pith, then sprinkle with orange blossom water.

I like splashes of colour at this time of year. I bought a bunch of daffodils that were tight in buds at the farm shop Sunday morning, and now three of them are full out and the rest of them are on their way. I love just to sit and look at them in the evening light.