Carrot and Coriander Salad with Maple Lime Dressing

I had a late night. The pesky white wine kept working it's way into my glass and I just wanted my bed and a lie in the next morning. I went to bed and, a pint of water later, fell into a deep restful sleep.

It was 7.30am, the sun was rising and my bed was comfy, my head ached a teeny bit - nothing I couldn't handle, when I was rudely awakened. Bang, bang, bang on the door. 'Who the hell is that at the door!' my head screamed. I rolled (yes, literally rolled) out of bed and looked out of the window.

Postie!

Headache cleared, sleepy fog lifted, either the fruits of my online shopping binge had arrived or my winning Bake Sale bid! And I hoped it was the latter.

Hopping like a crazy lady (did I mention the pint of water before bed), I chased postie down the road - we're talking Royal Mail here; the fact he arrived before midday was a miracle, I couldn't rightly expect him to stay for longer that 5 seconds, surely? I digress. I caught him. I got my package and wandered back into the house, placed it carefully it on the table while I made a cup of tea (after answering the call of nature - too much information?).

These really are the best kinds of days. Despite my grumbling, I soon cheered up and opened my parcel to find my goodies from Susan at The Spice Garden. You may have seen from previous posts that The Tomato Tart held an online Bake Sale for Second Harvest for Japan, raising over a staggering $8k! I bid on Susan's lot and won! Feeling rather pleased with myself, I tore open the packaging to find a box of home made maple fudge, a maple leaf (for coffee, I'm told), a jug of maple syrup, a magazine from Susan's area and a lovely note. All this from New Hampshire, USA straight to Cheshire, UK, from a lady I never knew until I started blogging. The power of the Internet never ceases to amaze me.

I'm ashamed to say that, even though I promised myself I would make it last, the ludicrous amount of fudge Susan sent was gone pretty quickly. It was so, so, so good. Crumbly but smooth, spicy but sweet, woody but floral. I couldn't leave it alone. Susan, I'm in awe.

This was about three weeks ago and ever since, I've been waiting for the right moment and recipe to show off the maple syrup. I didn't want to use it on pancakes - it is too special; I didn't want to cook it - it is too pure. No, it needed to be used raw, fresh and so you knew it was there, you just couldn't put your finger on the smoky but sweet taste. The moment arrived yesterday when my fabulous neighbours came for a barbeque to make the most of our early (and probably only) summer, in the shape of a Carrot and Coriander Salad with Maple Lime Dressing.

This little salad worked perfectly with the smokey barbequed meat. The sweetness of the syrup contrasted with the zingy lime, both of which take the heat from and complement the spiciness of the chilli. This dressing, poured over a classic carrot, corriander and cashew salad is really special. Carrots and maple syrup are a classic combination and this paring steals the show in this side dish that stands front and centre.

Thanks Susan, this was the best package I've received in a long time

Carrot and Coriander Salad with Maple Lime Dressing

Serves 8 as a side with other salads.

• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• Half red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped
• 400g grated carrot
• two pints boiling water
• Large bunch coriander, leaves torn
• 3 tbsp toasted cashew nuts, broken into pieces

1. In a small bowl, whisk the lime juice, maple syrup and chilli with a fork.

2. Place the carrot in a colander and pour the boiling water over and then rinse with cold. Drain very well, and gently squeeze the carrot to remove any remaining water.

3. Toss the coriander and cashew nuts with the carrot in a large bowl. Pour over the dressing and toss with a spoon to dress. Serve at room temperature.

Enjoy!

P.S. On Wednesday my lot on Bloggers Bake for Hope goes on sale to raise money for  Massachusetts Komen for the Cure.  I tried to find something I could post to the US as the bake sale is held there and most likely that any winning bidder will be there too, so my Gorgeously Good Granola is up for grabs - please bid for a fantastic cause.