The dish: Salad days here again

Toss is the latest gourmet salad bar to open in the city. The design-your-own salad and soup bar in High St offers a menu a little different from the others.

As well as leaf-based salads, you can build a salad from couscous, wild rice, penne pasta or orzo. Then select from the long list of ingredients - meats, cheeses, vegetables, croutons, noodles and more.

Pre-made house salads and soups are also on the menu.

The variety is impressive. The idea for Toss came from having worked in the city and surviving on a lunch diet of sandwiches and sushi. "I was getting frustrated with the lack of choice," says one of three owners, Jason Linnell.

"Salads are a genuinely healthy lunch alternative. If you go to a foodcourt, there's not much choice in healthy options."

Toss also caters for breakfast - you can design your own, choosing from cereals, fruit, yoghurt and porridge in winter.

And, if you haven't got time to leave the office, there is an online delivery service too.

Toss is at 50 High St, ph 0800 707 055 or visit www.toss.co.nz for online delivery.

Raise your cup

When you down your morning caffeine, you can help to fund breast cancer research.

The Breast Cancer Research Trust has launched a range of coffee cup sets - from AA espresso cups to D latte cups - which go on sale on Monday for between $14.95-$29.95 at Stevens stores. Five dollars from each sale will go to the trust.

Celebrities, including Nicky Watson, Kerre Woodham and Shane Cortese, have backed the campaign, posing Calendar Girls-style with the different-sized cups.

Nut-a-rama

Another reason (if you needed one) to visit the La Cigale French market in Parnell this weekend. It's the place to get your hands on Coromandel's famous Cathedral Cove macadamias.

You can have them any way - salted, chocolate or honey coated, or crumbed. Or there is macadamia nut oil, dukkah and a special honey-toasted macadamia muesli.

Cathedral Cove Macadamias is owned by ex Aucklanders Sue and Brian Pilkington, who packed up their city life to set up their Coromandel orchard with son Hamish six years ago.

The La Cigale market is at 69 St Georges Bay Rd, Parnell from 8am-1pm on Saturday. You can also find Cathedral Cove products at the Essential Deli and Sabato, or visit www.cathedralcovemacadamias.co.nz.