I’ve decided to take a break from blogging for a little while. Although there are plenty of things to write about, I’m finding it hard to write about them. Sometimes when the words won’t come, you can either force them out or have a rest. This is not very journalistic of me, I admit, and perhaps it’s undisciplined, but I’m interested to see what happens if I stop for a while.

I leave you with peaches, to show what’s been around. Here’s what is in store for us in the coming weeks: purple figs, garlic flowers pungent when crushed, pathways of golden grass, burgundy plums and green pluots to name just a few. Please dip back into the archives and enjoy the stories and recipes – there are many, and I hope they’ll give you pleasure. On a more frivolous note, in the words of E.F Benson and his 1930s ladies, Mapp and Lucia (who did very little else but lunch), this is not goodbye, but “au reservoir”. Enjoy your August.