Alison's Homegrown: The dilly season

Dill is a very useful herb to have in the garden, especially during festive feasting because it eases indigestion and bloating. A delicious tea can be made from the seeds and the leaves, which will soothe and relax you.

Plant seeds in early spring and again in mid-summer for a second crop to last till autumn. Seeds can be propagated in trays then planted out in a well-composted bed in full sun. Keep the bed moist until the plants are well established.

Mulching is always a good idea to keep moisture in and roots cool. Dill makes good bedfellows with lettuce, cabbage and tomatoes. Be careful not to plant close to carrots as they inhibit each other's growth. Generally dill will self-seed so plant in a spot where you are happy to have it growing permanently.

All parts are edible - flowers, leaves and stems. The flowers will cheer up any festive garden salad and fresh chopped leaves are delicious with scrambled eggs and smoked trout for a special Christmas Day breakfast.

Seeds can be harvested from the flower heads; an easy way to do this is to cut the flower heads off and keep in a brown paper bag until the seeds ripen. Dried leaves and seeds can be stored in a jar with an airtight lid or you can freeze the leaves and stems for up to six months.

Dill and Scottish salmon combined to make gravad lax is a treat well worth the effort and can be made 4-5 days in advance. This is something I am looking forward to eating on Christmas Day accompanied by a glass of festive bubbles. Eat, drink and be merry - 'tis the season to be dilly!

SCOTTISH GRAVAD LAX

• 2 x 500g fresh Scottish salmon fillets
• Large bunch fresh dill, finely chopped
• 65g caster sugar
• 10 black peppercorns, lightly crushed
• 65g coarse non-iodised sea salt

Remove all bones and skin from the salmon fillets. Sprinkle some of the chopped dill over the bottom of a large, shallow dish. Rub both salmon fillets with the caster sugar and place one in the dish. Sprinkle with more dill, the peppercorns and half the sea salt. Place the second fillet on top of the first and sprinkle with remaining salt and dill. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and weigh the salmon down with a heavy object. Chill in the fridge for 4-5 days. Slice the fillets very thinly and serve with pumpernickel or rye bread, a dollop of homemade mayonnaise and a squeeze of fresh lemon.

• Alison's on the Green, 33 Troupant Avenue, Magaliessig, Joburg, 0114670561, alisonsorganicdeli.com. E-mail queries to food@sundaytimes.co.za with ALISON as the subject.