< Summer
< Summer Food

Marshmallow Snowballs
Love Heart Biscuits
Blackberry and Apple Slices
Gooseberry Fool
Cherry Picking
Frozen Bananas
Lemon Drizzle Cake
Raspberry & Apple Palmiers
Making a Giant Teacake
Plum Squares
Bottled Fruit
Blackberry Polenta Cake
Trifle in a 'Trifle'
Pears in Lemon Juice
Anna-Louise's Redcurrant Tart
Baby BBQ
Zinging Home-Made Lemonade
Mini-Cooked Breakfast
Butterfly Fruit
Blackcurrant Coulis
Lemon Ricotta with Summer Fruits and Blackcurrant Coulis
Dough Balls
Kids' Summer Cup
Primrose Salad
Food by Firelight
Easy Cheese Soufflé
Elderflower Fizz
Zany Pavlova
Herb Pikelets and Orange Caviar
Buttermilk Cake
Maypole Cake
Flowers to Eat
Elderflower Cordial
Popcorn
Junket
Vanilla Ice-Cream with Orange Toffee and Cowslips

Primrose Salad

This is a basic Salad Niçoise decorated with bright primrose flowerheads to announce the arrival of summer. Gorgeous, filling and wholesome

250g new or mini potatoes
150g French beans
8 quail's eggs
4 fresh tuna steaks
1 cos or crispy lettuce
200g cherry tomatoes
75g black olives
10 primrose heads, green parts removed


Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for approximately 20 mins. Steam the French beans for 4 mins so that they are still crisp. Hardboil the quail's eggs for 4 mins. Cook the tuna steaks for 3 mins each side or less if you like them rare, flake with a fork. Leave all ingredients to cool.

To assemble the salad: wash and tear the lettuce and place in a large bowl. Cut the tomatoes in half and scatter over the lettuce, together with the beans, potatoes, olives and flaked tuna. Halve the quail's eggs and arrange on top. Scatter the primroses over and serve with creamy dressing (see below) on the side. Enjoy with crisp bread and butter.

Creamy Dressing
3 tbsp mayonnaise (lemon mayonnaise, if you can find it)
3 tbsp plain yogurt
1 to 2 tbsp milk
Salt and pepper


Mix the mayonnaise and yogurt together and add enough milk to make a pouring consistency. Season to taste. If you don't have lemon mayonnaise, add a teaspoon of lemon juice and half a teaspoon of grated lemon peel to the mixture instead.