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We have a family lunch - G’s brother and his wife join us at home for home made leek and potato soup and chocolate cake with mascarpone. The soup is my ideal recipe for this time of the year, delicious served either hot or cold as vichyssoise. The morning’s weather makes me go for the hot option, with swirls of crème fraiche and chopped chives. 

The cake I think I’ve mentioned previously - made with olive oil and ground almonds rather than butter and flour, so it’s gluten free (and probably much better for my cholesterol levels which have recently risen alarmingly to the point that today I’m having statins added to my growing list of medications!) It’s a dark, dark chocolate cake, and today I add some chilli chocolate to the recipe which makes it even better! 

By mid-afternoon the clouds have gone and we’re now in almost Mediterranean warmth so that the vichyssoise would be eminently suitable - time for a glass of chilled white wine and lying on the grass taking more photos of the lavender!