Small Harvests, Simple Food

The first harvests of the summer fruit and vegetables - tiny, but oh what joy!      

The hard work is suddenly begining to pay off.   Everything is going to burst into full production before long, we will be snowed under, but right now there is just the smallest trickle to tickle the tastebuds and make me purr with pleasure.

The blackcurrants are ripening nicely - and goodness are there lots of them.    I love them either fresh and whole, or simply cooked without sugar and pureed, then served with Greek yogurt.   

A marriage made in heaven.

Parsley is growing like mad, which is handy because the first cucumber has ripened no tomatoes yet but plenty of mint and chives ...now what does that suggest?
    

Tabbouleh!      

I checked the pantry, no bulgur wheat, no couscous - oops!  Luckily I had some quinoa, that will do nicely.

Chop, chop, chop.  Chop, chop!   Parsley, cucumber, chives (no spring onions)  tomatoes and plenty of mint, add the cooked and cooled quinoa, a good amount of freshly squeezed lemon juice, a glug or two of olive oil and plenty of black pepper.  

It is a shame that I had to use shop-bought tomatoes, but never mind.

It tasted wonderfully cool and refreshing.










Last week I made a couple of bottles of elderflower cordial, what better drink could there be on a baking hot afternoon?

I picked a second lot of blackcurrants this afternoon - blackcurrant sorbet is on the menu for tomorrow.