Daisy, Daisy . . . give me your answer, true . . .

This time of year the grassy areas here on the estate are just covered with daisies, their little white and pink heads, with the yellow centre popping up all over the place. They're so very pretty and sunny looking.

I was just saying to my Todd the other day, how perfectly lovely I thought that they were, and, he had to agree . . . they're so prolific and they grow wild all over the estate . . . up stone walls, along stone stair cases . . . they are so very hardy and seem to grow just about anywhere.



I would never want to be one though . . .

Silly thought . . . you may be thinking . . . but, think again . . .



When the sun shines . . . they are open . . . but as soon as the sky turns grey or it gets dark . . . they close back up again and you don't see them until the sun decides to once more shine.

You can't live your life like that . . .



We are off to Broadstairs this morning, with a brief stop in Canterbury along the way. Broadstairs used to be the summer home of Charles Dickens, and you can see his home standing up on a cliff overlooking the ocean. We're looking forward to long walks along the seaside. You can walk all the way to Ramsgate along the front and it's all done proper-like, with a cement walkway and all. We often walk down there for the fish and chips, which are very good. We're also popping over to Boulogne in France for a day whilst we are there as well. Let's hope the weather improves! It's cold, windy and wet today!!

I made us a lovely salad for our lunch yesterday called Fattoush. It's a wonderful way of getting rid of some stale pita breads and makes good use of tomatoes and cucumbers which are quite abundant this time of year. Add a few herbs and you have a most delicious lunch for two, or three or even four or more, depending on how hungry you are!



*Fattoush*
serves 6
Printable Recipe

I love the fresh taste of this delicious salad, with it's herbs and vegetables. Crispy pita bread and a tangy lemon and olive oil vinaigrette make this one of my favourite summer salads!

2 pitta bread rounds
6 large romaine lettuce leaves, shredded
1 large Lebanese (short) cucumber, peeled and cubed
4 large ripe tomatoes, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
8 spring onions, trimmed and chopped
4 TBS finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1 TBS finely chopped fresh mint
2 TBS finely chopped fresh coriander leaf (cilantro)

Dressing:
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
100ml (3 1/2 ounces) extra virgin olive oil
100ml (3 1/2 ounces) freshly squeezed lemon juice
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste



Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Split the pitta breads in half through the centre and bake on a baking tray in the heated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden brown and crisp, turning them once halfway through the baking. Set aside to cool, then break into pieces.

To make the dressing, whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl until well combined.

Place the bread, salad vegetables and herbs into a large salad bowl. Toss to combine. Drizzle with the dressing and toss well. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Serve immediately.



For a really tasty vegetable gratin, hop on over to The English Kitchen and see what I came up with for my glut of courgettes!