Summer is finally here in this part of the world, with the temperature slowly but surely creeping up as the days pass by. Living where I do, not far outside London, our summers can get pretty uncomfortable and humid when the weather decides to take a turn for the warmer…

Summer and soup does seem to be a bit of an oxymoron. Think of soup, and your mind conjures up images of steaming hot bowls, thick and rich with earthy warming flavours - not exactly what you crave when the temperature is rising. Here in the UK, however, a summer’s day can be just as cold and dreary as a mild day in winter…

We’re right in peak asparagus season here in the UK - traditionally it runs from St. George’s Day (23rd April) until the summer solstice (around the 21st June), so there’s a very limited window of opportunity if you want to enjoy some of the country’s finest produce…

I’d like to think that nowadays I’m quite an adventurous eater; as long as there’s no meat in it (maybe no liquorice or coffee either) I’ll give it a try. As a child, however, I was very fussy. Eggs, cheese, tomatoes, even broccoli - seen as one of the more “child friendly” vegetables - I did not want to eat any of it.

My fiancé is a great lover of lemons. His mother reliably informs us that he only started speaking as a child to ask for “some lemon dosh” (dosh = squash), and even now he will happy munch on a leftover lemon slice when one is available to him. Me, I’m more ambivalent about lemons, particularly in their application in sweet recipes.