There's every reason to eat cake when you add nuts and stacks of seasonal fruit.

Summer is the perfect time to make cake – true! Yes, that's right. If you've ever tried to chase a slab of hard butter around a bowl in a frigid kitchen while attempting to 'cream' it, try doing it in a lovely warm kitchen, or in the middle of a New Zealand summer. The butter will soften before your eyes and all your equipment will help keep things at an ambient temperature letting you whip butter and sugar to a thick airy cream. And that's the start of success with a butter sponge. Butter. It's had a lot of bad press lately, but take it all with a pinch of salt and a glass of wine (and a fried egg or two) because messages change all the time. The key to good health I reckon (and my father lived to 99 so I have quite a healthy perspective on this) is MODERATION. Yep, a bit of this and a bit of that, and lots of the good stuff (vegetables) in between. Back to the cake ... all the tips are here to ensure you can make a fabulous cake. And there's a recipe for a fabulous almond sponge loaded with summer fruit. Nothing wrong with a slice of that for breakfast if you happen to have leftovers! Salad Caprese, now there's a thing for summer. Ilaria and I got nattering over a glass of Rosé, as you do, and decided on Salad Caprese for dinner. What is it anyway? What are the essentials to get it right? We got different results as you'd expect. She charred some bread to go with it, and that was dinner done in 10 minutes. Mind you, the mozzarella cost a bomb! Headland Sculpture on the Gulf has got off to a brilliant start on Waiheke – the exhibits are amazing  and the weather has been brilliant. Don't forget you can  spend a day enjoying the amazing art then tag on a cooking class at my home in Rocky Bay at the end of the day with the Summer Sunset Classes I am running through February. Love to see you here. Julie