Today has been characterised by sleep. Somehow after I posted yesterday, the three of us ended up going to be REALLY late (later than I’ve been to bed in several years). We didn’t do anything amazing, just sat on the sofas and chatted while quaffing wine. It was just a really nice night. Gary is good company.

We were only just turning out the light at 4am. The dawn chorus was already in full throaty song and light was sneaking past our curtains. We got up at 10am feeling guilty that Gary couldn’t leave until DM had moved cars and motorbikes so we forced ourselves out of bed and down to share breakfast with him. He’d been as quiet as a church mouse watching music on the TV and seemed very unconcerned that we’d held him up from leaving.

After waving him off we mooched about and watched TV feeling generally lethargic and groggy so we did the ultimate decadent thing and went back to bed for the rest of the day – there is something so blissfully naughty about sleeping during the day isn’t there?

So, we got up at 6pm and all I’ve done since is to go and buy some butter and pop up the garden to water the greenhouse and pick the first courgettes of the season from the veggie garden for supper. They are tiny, sweet and very succulent – these ones are about ½ inch across and 3-4 inches long so they really are small. That’s the beauty of growing them, you get so many you can pick them tiny and still have enough for another meal two days later because they are so prolific. I’m constantly amazed that more people don’t grow these plants, just as border plants. They look terrific, with architectural leaves and fabulous, huge yellow flowers, are stupidly easy to grow and two plants will produce enough fruit to keep a family in fresh home-grown courgettes all summer. Yum.

These ones are about to be grated and sautéed with chilli and garlic for one my favourite, homespun dishes. I’m a great believer in simple, easy to cook food and this recipe is one of my best.

I think we’ll eat our supper on the sofa and then be back ‘up the wooden hill’ before you know it. What a great way to spend a Saturday.

I have stolen the title of my photo today from an album by the Kevin McDermott Orchestra. It’s a wonderful album and one that should be owned by everyone!