Nothing like a wet day to buckle down on the floor to sort through a pile of magazines and recipes. We should have been at the Bath and West Show but were wise to take heed of an amber weather warning. We were very sorry not to have caught up with our friends, Julie and Scott. Next year!

In a Waitrose magazine I found this recipe which was perfect to serve with the smoked salmon left over from the Bank Holiday weekend. Even better that I had every ingredient to hand and didn’t have to go out in the rain.

Pickled Cucumber, Dill and Mustard Seed Salad

½ small red onion, finely sliced
½tsp golden caster sugar
½tsp salt
3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
Olive oil
1½tsp yellow mustard seeds
1 cucumber, halved lengthwise and very finely sliced on the diagonal
Small handful chopped dill
Freshly ground black pepper
Handful of watercress sprigs

Put the red onion in a bow of cold water and set aside for five minutes. Drain in a sieve and rinse under cold water. Place the slices briefly on a kitchen towel and then place in a large bowl and add the sugar, salt and vinegar. Set aside for 15 minutes.

Put a tablespoon of olive oil into a frying pan on a medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and cook for about two minutes or until the seed start to fizz and become darker.

When cooled a little, stir the seeds into the onion mixture. Add the cucumber slices, a tablespoon or two of olive oil, the dill and some black pepper. Check for seasoning.

Before serving, stir in the watercress and serve with the smoked salmon.