BORAGE

It's a grim, grey day. I dropped a rock on my foot (don't ask) and putting on a shoe is out of the question so off I went, in socks, to scrounge a picture from the herb garden.

There's quite a bit to photograph there but the bright blue borage, sometimes called a star flower, pierced the gloom. Borage is a native of Syria but it grows all over now. Here in Tuscany the leaves are used in soup. To the north, in Liguria, it is mixed with ricotta and used to stuff ravioli. It is called boragino here.

The leaves taste of cucumber and it is the traditional garnish to the cocktail Pimm's cup. Since borage is not always available, real cucumber is more commonly used. I first encountered this lethal drink at a party given by Brits on a torrid New York City day.The flat was four flights up so by the time I got there I was gasping with thirst. This tall, cool innocent looking drink seemed just the ticket and I knocked one back, then another and that's about all I remember. I have not had one since.

The olive harvest goes on and the series will resume on Tuesday.