Where is Spring?

Even though the weather is glorious and the air is clear and the colours are vibrant, the usual signs of Spring are non-existent this far north of Australia.

It's something that BGWLBH mentioned when she was here a couple of years ago.

In NSW, you know instantly what season of the year it is, just by looking out the window.

In Autumn the leaves change colour and the trees are covered in vibrant reds, yellows and orange.  In Winter, the leaves fall and everything becomes grey and dull. When Spring arrives, there are vibrant bursts of colour everywhere, and everything, including birds and wildlife, comes to life. Summer makes everything golden, dusty and dry - the sun, the fields, the soil, the air.

This far north, everything stays the same.  Well, except my orchids flower in Spring and vegetables are virtually impossible to grow in the heat and humidity of Summer. The change of seasons is almost indefinable.

It was most noticeable for me today because I went triking around town for 2 hours trying to find nests and wildflowers and wildlife.

I found a Butcher Bird nest. Nothing else (aside from the Tawnies and the Bee Eaters).

Disappointing.

I took quite a few hopeful photos but I haven't looked at them yet .. which is an indication that there is nothing there that I'm excited to see!

Here is a lovely pelican that I photographed a couple of days ago..

I had a great phone call with Chicklet and Vegan Chickie today.

Tonight, I got adventurous in the kitchen and cooked some venison,  a whole baked cauliflower and beans and broccoli. The venison was surprisingly delicious. The butcher told us that to prevent toughness, we should cook it on a very high heat quickly, so that's what I did and it was lovely and tender.

The cauliflower was the highlight, with it's deliciously spicy marinade coating.

Spicy Whole Roasted Cauliflower

Ingredients

1 head cauliflower
1½ cups plain Greek yogurt
1 lime, zested and juiced
2 tablespoons chile powder (I was intimidated by this & only used 3/4 T. It was still spicy enough)
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400° and line a small baking dish with baking paper. Set aside.

2. Trim the base of the cauliflower to remove any green leaves and the woody stem.

3. In a medium bowl, combine the yogurt with the lime zest and juice, chile powder, cumin, garlic powder, curry powder, salt and pepper.

4. Dunk the cauliflower into the bowl and use a brush or your hands to smear the marinade evenly over its surface. (Excess marinade can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to three days and used with meat, fish or other veggies.)

5. Place the cauliflower on the prepared baking sheet and roast until the surface is dry and lightly browned, about 40 minutes. The marinade will make a crust on the surface of the cauliflower.

6. Let the cauliflower cool for 10 minutes before cutting it into wedges and serving.

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Nite all.