I love the lead up to Christmas and summer. As the weather improves and the days lengthen, everything seems somehow easier and more festive. I often like to gather 10-12 people together for relaxed drinks followed by a help-yourself dinner like this one. The antipasto platter is a no-brainer for larger- scale entertaining and there are always a few components to suit everyone. The salmon is the rock-star hero of this menu, and yet is so easy to prepare – a perfect combination. I have been making variations of this salad for a few years now as it is always so popular, with surprising little hits of citrus, sweet currants, crunchy fennel and peppery rocket. The dessert is my summery take on a winter crumble; smooth and creamy rhubarb ice cream, studded with an addictive almond crumble… somehow about half of my crumble never seems to make it into the ice-cream – it’s that good!