Hey there everyone, this is Rachel and it was so lovely meeting you last month with my first column here on decor8. It is hard to believe that it’s March already and autumn here in Australia. I’m sure at lot of you are super excited for Spring and reading all of the wonderful ways to decorate your space for the season, while I’m feeling a little sad about the fact that I missed summer! Why? Well... Due to family commitments, I’ve spent a large chunk of time in Canada recently and got to experience my first real Canadian winter in lieu of an Australian summer. It’s not all bad though if you are a glass half full kinda person like me. I got to see a lot of snow and my hubby Matt made sure I partook in winter activities like tobogganing, snowball fights, trekking across frozen lakes and ice fishing. It was such a novelty for me to feel like a kid who’s seeing snow for the first time. Now that I’m back home in Oz, I’m making the most of enjoying what I like to call ‘the best time of year’ – the start of Autumn. The weather is really just simply delightful, so before the month is out I will be indulging on the last bit of summer produce.

This month I wanted to share with you a little taste of Melbourne. Being a stunning food destination with a culture of eating out, both at restaurants and food festivals year round, there is an endless number of dishes that are synonymous with this great city. I’ve chosen something humble, attainable yet ever impressive: a Melbourne twist on avocado on toast.

The brunch café culture is strong in this city and Australian’s love their avocados, (or avos as we fondly refer to them, even on our commercials on TV with the tag line “av’ an avo today!”). So there is avo on toast in nearly every brunch destination you can imagine and they all speak uniquely to their diners. If you ask a Melbournian where the best avo on toast is in the city, there’ll all share a great detailed list with you of where and where not to go. What works and what doesn’t. Who has a new take and who seeks perfection in the simplistic.

My favorites have included incorporating it into hummus, with a side of candied bacon or oven roasted cauliflower with dukkah. Almost always accompanied with a poached egg. As a tribute to this great brunch recipe, I’ve chosen to share with you a combination of flavors: Edamame Avocado Hummus Toast with Pistachio Dukkah.

These colors for sure will get you excited to enjoy the treasures of Spring and for those of us emerging out of summer, a one last ditch to savor the fruits of the season.

If you’ve got poached egg skills, why not serve with a side of runny egg goodness?

RECIPE Edamame Avocado Hummus Toast with Pistachio Dukkah

SHOP LIST Edamame Avocado Hummus 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil 400g edamame, shelled and frozen 1 avocado, skin and seed removed 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/4 cup lime juice 2 tablespoons tahini Salt and pepper to taste Pistachio Dukkah 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds 1/4 cup pistachio nuts, chopped 1 tablespoon ground coriander 1 tablespoon ground cumin Salt and pepper to taste

Fresh crusty bread, sliced and lightly toasted 3-4 medium sliced radishes, thinly sliced Fresh green herbs to garnish, if desired

HOW TO Steam the edamame per instructions on the packet. Let cool slightly and gently run under cold water. Set aside. Meanwhile, to make the dukkah, add black sesame seeds, pistachio nuts, ground coriander and ground cumin to a bowl and mix. Season to taste and place in a little pinch bowl. Once the edamame has cooled; in a food processor, add olive oil, garlic, lime juice, edamame and avocado and blitz until combined. (Mixture should be thick and a little grainy). Add tahini and season to taste. Add a generous amount of hummus to slices of your favourite toasted bread, top with some finely sliced radishes, a pinch of dukkah and a snip of green herbs from your garden (if desired).

I hope you love this and if you make it, please add a picture to Instagram and tag #twolovesstudio and #decor8eats so we see it and can like it and maybe follow you, too! I'll be back on April 6th with another recipe from my kitchen to yours. In the meantime, have fun with Holly and her other columnists! See you soon again! - Rachel.

(Photography, Styling, Recipe: Rachel Jane)