Peonies and herb tarts - summer is here!

Today was just glorious. An impromptu alfresco lunch with friends and family perfectly captured the reason everyone should have a garden - so they can sit in the sun, surrounded by nature and friends with food made fresh from homegrown ingredients.

More on that soon, but first. The peonies! They have finally started to open and the large deep crimson cup shaped flowers filled with tightly packed ruffles look fantastic. There’s just three open so far and lots of bulging round buds waiting their turn.

Next to the peonies the first oriental papaver has opened. It’s plum petals are so thin and papery they are almost translucent. With black spots like thumb prints they circle the tight black centre packed with loops of stamen. The rest of the large hairy poppy buds are still tightly closed.

It’s been a long week of waiting for the big buds to open. The weather has been so mixed, and yesterday seemed more changeable than most going from sun to blustery winds to lashing rain and back again. But today the sun shone.

Mr & Mrs Great Tit are still going in and out of their eaves nest constantly while other birds hop around the garden. The orange tip butterflies are still flitting around.
















The aqualegia and cranesbill geranium are in full bloom all and the ferns are all unfurling new stems.

The purple and white alliums are a spectacular mass of tiny flowers in a perfect sphere.

The oregano, thyme and rosemary are all growing madly. With lots of delicate new shoots it’s the ideal time to make a lovely herb tart.

Since cooking is my other creative passion, here’s the recipe for the herb tart I rustled up for lunch.

I hope it encourages you to make the most of the new herbs.

Brie & Tomato Summer Herb Tart

1. Roll out a rectangle of puff pastry, place it on a floured baking tray and lightly score round the pastry about 2-3cm in from the edge with a sharp knife. Make sure no ingredients go onto the border.




2. Next go and pick a selection of rosemary tips, oregano, thyme, chives etc. and chop them finely.




3. In a small food processor, add 3 cloves of garlic, some fresh black pepper, a little extra virgin olive oil and 6 slices of parma ham. Blitz and sprinkle the ham over the pastry.




4. Next cut in half about 15 baby plum tomatoes, chop a few soft sundried tomatoes and sprinkle them over the pastry. Sprinkle the tomatoes with half the chopped herbs.




5. Now take a wedge of brie and chop it into thick slices about 2cm wide and place them on the tomatoes.




6. Grind some salt and pepper over the tart and sprinkle on the remaining herbs.




7. Lightly brush the outside border of the pastry with milk and pop the tart in a 190 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.




8. When its golden brown and bubbling take it out and let it cool for 5 minutes before covering it with freshly picked rocket and baby salad leaves. Eat & enjoy.