Summer Holiday Season
"Summer has a flavour like no other..."
Dear friends,
I’ve had a fabulous summer enjoying my garden, a bountiful harvest and long country walks.
I hope you’ve enjoyed August too. It always seems summer comes and goes all too quickly. Let’s hope we are in for an Indian Summer just to extend the season. Fingers firmly crossed.
Talking of Indian, what’s been cooking this month? I’m very fortunate to be almost self-sufficient with fruit and vegetables from my garden from mid July. Successes have included strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, onions, garlic, chillies, peas, fine beans, cucumber, greens, cauliflower, coriander, radish, beetroot and courgettes.
Sadly I lost all my plum tomatoes to tomato blight for the second year in a row. I suspect it’s because I grow the plants too close together, as the vegetable garden competes with the flower garden for space. Plus perhaps the effects of climate change. Apples and pears have not done at all well this year either.
The sweetcorn, parsnips and more of the beetroot, radish, cucumber, courgettes, fine beans and greens are almost all ready to harvest. I’ve prepared the onions and garlic for storage to use as and when needed. Baby figs have appeared on my new fig tree so hopefully I’ll have juicy figs to look forward to too.
To keep on top of the bountiful supply I have been cooking. I’ve made Fine Beans & Potato Curry, Mutter Paneer/Aloo, Saag Aloo and Courgette & Potato Curry.
Others included Cool Cucumber Soup and a Spicy Tomato & Cucumber Soup (recipe to follow). I also juice and peel, slice, and freeze any surplus cucumbers for future use in soups.
I glimpsed a baby courgette hidden among the large green leaves of the courgette plant one day and within a few days it had become a large marrow. Hence Marrow Fritters and Marrow Kofta Curry were borne.
Craving something sweet, I created some Super Healthy Pinnis, gluten-free with vegan and non-vegan versions. These truly are super healthy and easy to make, consisting of seeds, nuts and healthy fats. Enjoy them as a snack or a dessert. In India, Pinnis are served to new mums to aid their recovery after giving birth.
And finally a quote from Oprah Winfrey:
“Summer has a flavour like no other. Always fresh and simmered in sunshine.”
Please continue to share my Instagram, Facebook and site with others.
Until next time…
Love,
