Tempering this Topsy-Turvy Spring

Essential needs for happy living, the triumph of sewing on a button, bouillabaisse of eggs, and more...

From sunshine back to early spring, and all the changes and challenges that blow in with it...

April has been a restless month. As I start thinking about a house move, I’ve found myself making lists of the things I need to live happily (need, not want). Have you ever done that? It’s an interesting exercise, because you can surprise yourself by how minimal the list ends up being when you get right down to the non-negotiable essentials.

On our recent trip to Martinique, where the scenery and sunshine were wonderful, but the food depressing, I was reminded that I could never live anywhere where I couldn’t access good ingredients for cooking. Apart from the local melons and pineapple, I’m afraid the best thing we put in our mouths the entire time we were away was sardines on toast, made by me at our Airbnb. Not that there’s anything wrong with sardines on toast, but if it’s going to be the best possible thing you can muster, well... So that will be one criterion for places to live in this life: easy access to good eating.

Toast slices of good sourdough bread. Spread on plenty of cold butter. Top with halved, boned tinned sardines. Drizzle with olive oil, squeeze over lemon juice, sprinkle with fleur de sel, and, if you have mint or parsley, tear a few leaves and scatter them over, too. Sardine tartines make a wonderful appetizer or light lunch, anytime, anywhere. Perfect with cold rosé.