Air miles too are causing some controversy at the moment, first of all they were bad, now there are arguments creeping in that this is not necessarily the case, sometimes there are benefits. If we stop buying Kenyan beans or mange touts from who knows where perhaps we are depriving communities of their only source of livelihood. It is not fair to judge on our terms what happens in other countries. I have spoken to farmers in Africa who run schools and shops (on a non profit making basis) and provide medical care for their workers. Recently, Carlo Petrini, the founder of the Slow Food movement, argued that the movement of foodstuffs around the globe contributed to the survival of artisan food makers, in fact directly encouraged the growth of such an industry. I want to eat food that is in season, I don't want to eat strawberries in December, but at the same time I want to have cheese from France as well as Llanboidy, Teifi or Pont Gar, I want to have mangoes and pineapples, not every day but sometimes, I want to have rice, and lentils. I do not like the idea of onions or carrots being imported simply because they can be got elsewhere cheaper. I think it is incredibly important to support our local industry, to ensure farming in this country survives, surely it is just economic good sense for a country to be as self sufficient as possible. The importing and exchange of goods has always existed and hopefully always will, but part of the charm of imported goods is, or used to be, the luxury.

Another luxury in this country, one we usually export, is fresh fish. In early July Aberaeron and Pwlhelli have fish festivals, the last week of June sees the whole of Pembrokeshire celebrating the fruits of the sea. If you are not lucky enough to live within easy distance of a good fishmonger perhaps this is the time to have a day out, eat some good fish and make sure you take some seafood home. I recently met Glyn Heulyn of The Harbourmaster, Aberaeron, he was extolling the virtue of Cardigan Bay prawns. There is a sweetness about prawns when they are really fresh that is lost by the time they hit the supermarket shelves, a hint of it does remain in those with their shells still on, if you can face the peeling they are well worth it.
The smell of damp, dusty earth carried on a Summer shower after days of hot dry weather, mown grass, strawberries, sliced cucumber, these are all scents that are the very essence of Summer. Cucumber makes a perfect Summer mousse to go with your prawns.

If you have a blender chop the cucumber roughly and then put all the ingredients into the blender and blend until almost smooth. Add the gelatine mix and give it another pulse, then pour into a lightly oiled mould. Cover and chill for at least six hours or prepare the day before. If you have a ring mould it is ideal as the centre can be filled with peeled prawns. The outside then decorated with whole prawns.
Serve with lots of good bread, a tomato salad and a green salad.

For an elegant but simple starter you could line a 1 Ib oaf tin with smoked salmon and then half fill with the mousse (only make half the quantity above), arrange a layer of salmon, then cover with the mousse and a layer of salmon, fold any straggly bits from the edges over, cover with clingfilm and chill. When chilled slice.