It's that Time of Year Again.

B. has been toiling in our potager /vegetable garden since early spring, but now it is my turn to do some work, for our tomato crop is ripening on the vine, and I must ensure that this year's bounty will continue to feed us throughout the winter. This year we have experimented with a new variety called ' Cornu des Andes,' large elongated tomatoes which are the first to ripen in great number. These are not unlike the Italian Roma variety, so I am cooking up large pots of 'sugo ' a rich tomato sauce, which will be frozen for storage. It should be delicious with pasta dishes, on pizzas, and in melanzane , in which layers of aubergine are alternated with tomato and cheese, and cooked until it all seems to melt together. The Italians not only know a lot about growing tomatoes, but about cooking them too.

Our other varieties of tomato are slower to ripen, but the Roma , a cooking tomato is coming now, and will soon be turned into passata. The St. Pierre , which are our choice of salad tomatoes are still stubbornly green, but I can't wait to turn them into tomato salads with my best local olive oil, or caprese with capers and mozzarella. There's definitely something to be said for the summer time.

And what about the courgette, which comes to fruition at this time of year? At first it tends to shrivel and perish before it has fully formed, but now they are appearing whole and unblemished. Can you see the one in the photograph waiting to be picked? "But," you may well cry "I hate soggy courgettes." Well so do I, so that is why I like to serve them raw. I shave them into ribbons and marinade them in good olive oil, lemon juice and fresh pepper, with a hint of salt. Absolutely delicious! If that idea doesn't appeal, cook them by all means, but very briefly, cut into batons, and seared in a griddle pan with olive oil .

Other veg will need no pre preparation in order to be stored. The potatoes and onions are already gathered and stored in our garage. They will see us through the long days of winter in the form of stews and casseroles, soups, chips and so much more. But in summer some of these onions will be sliced into salads, for B. grows the wonderful local Lézignan onion which is mild, sweet and crunchy.

But let's not forget the winter veg. which will continue to grow, and which we will continue to pick throughout the window. Here are our special tender stem broccoli plants, which B. sowed from seed. These seeds are hard to find in France , but we tracked them down in Wales. If you have never tried these tender stems rapidly seared on a griddle, with plenty of butter added...do! Alongside the, as yet tiny, broccoli plants, the leeks are growing apace. This is my winter stand-by veg which will be made into soups such as leek and potato, and cullen skink with smoked haddock and potatoes. What's not to like on a cold winter's day?

But wait a minute , I hear you say, what about fruit? Do they not grow any? . Well alas, when it comes to fruit trees we have not had great success. Whilst we have planted cherry, plum(mirabelle) pear and apple trees , they have not survived well. The only tree that has thrived is a Reine Claude (greengage tree) which brims with fruit each year. But alas we planted this alongside our old gîte, La Primelle, and this no longer belongs to us, but to our neighbour F. But all is not lost, for our friend A. who is a phenomenally successful gardener , recently gave us some raspberry canes. Very soon these tiny green fruit will be turning bright red, and will be added to our breakfast fruit salads.

Bon Apétit Everyone!