Stuffed courgette Salad

Ever since he returned from London in April, son Ben has been asking when summer will arrive. After two winters in a row he has been eagerly looking forward to hot days in the sun. With local temperatures in the low 30s Celsius the past weekend, I think he is at last satisfied.

We have had a series of suntanned chaps swarming over our yard for a few days, turning a damp unexciting corner of our small section into a smart paved area with a raised garden and peripheral seating.

We've sat inside each night and marvelled at how they have pulled out the old plants, saving the roses and lemon tree for replanting, scraped off the lawn (read hydrocotl infestation), tamped down a loose metal base and slapped down the pavers, including a perfect circular design in the centre. Timber framing for a pergola and trellis screens has popped up and two sides of the new patio are edged with a brick wall which will form the base for seating, as well as front the raised garden.

Add to that a new path linking to another existing patio, and a mowing strip round the rest of the garden and suddenly the section is starting to look quite tidy and manageable.

I have huge respect for these landscapers and landscape architects who can suddenly transform a haphazard collection of areas into smart "garden rooms".

This progress has been eagerly watched by the sons who are picturing themselves hosting barbecues for their friends in the new yard. As the younger one celebrates his 21st birthday a few days before Christmas, things are looking promising.

Spurred on by the warm weather, I decided we would have some cold smoked chicken and a couple of simple salad dishes the other night. And then I found myself toiling away in a 32 degree kitchen preparing my "light summer meal". However, the results were worth it, specially as an extra face appeared at the door when the sons arrived home and there was no problem setting another place.

The market was full of fresh summer produce when I called earlier in the day, so I had plenty to work on. The tomatoes are dropping in price and are becoming tastier by the day. I notice a lot of them are being picked with their calyx still on, which I think helps retain the flavour. I like to keep my tomatoes in a basket on the bench, along with the avocados and a few lemons. If I include a few not-quite-ripe ones when I'm buying them, the tomatoes gradually ripen fully during the week.

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