It’s rush hour. It must be as I can just hear a motor bike in the distance over the deep silence that is the beginning of a summer’s day. This is the summer moment that I wait for throughout the year. It’s just before 7.00 and there is a palpable peace in the air. Days like today are to be enjoyed bite by delicious bite. It’s going to be hot and the stone house is cool.
There’s a tray of white peaches which are slowly ripening in the warmth of the sun that comes through the low, south facing window. The fishmonger has filleted a dozen fresh sardines and I’ve prepared fresh breadcrumbs, mixed with flaked almonds and lemon zest, with which to stuff them in addition to some pine nuts and parsley. A softly running Coulommiers cheese, protected by a fly dome, is waiting patiently to give us more pleasure. Al is one of those very rare house guests who have the good grace only to pass by on perfect summer days and to leave before one tires of them. 
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Perfection! That cheese looks amazing. My right hand is now hovering over a bottle of unopened red wine.
Good thought, but it’s only 9.00am here:)
Give it a couple of hours then.
I would loved to have joined you for this meal! The cheese looks perfect
It tastes as good as it looks. believe me:)
Algy’s gone, the sun came back, and the cheese is ripe…sounds wonderful.
Love the sardines. We never see them fresh around here.
I’ve just tossed them in sea salt and they’re having a chill before I prepare them – can’t wait:)
Great news Roger and great looking sardines, one of my favorite dishes lately! Try them also with Pecorino, chili and parseley!
That does sound fantastic. Chillies just change so many dishes – excellent idea:)
Try spaghetti with sardines, pecorino and chillies! The method is the same as spaghetti aglio e olio, just add sardines and pecorino cheese!
Parfait!
Things are looking pretty parfait at the moment:)
I so rarely see white peaches here, just makes me long to be in France in summer where they are plentiful, and good!
I think that the flat ones are best:)
Hurrah: the departure of algy. And what a mouth watering picnic
Is your course coming up soon?
Just finished the picnic – excellent. Our course has been very quiet – in fact nearly silent. Just another symptom of the financial crisis:)
That’s a shame. It looked great.
Absolutely divine and i understand that moment when you can FEEL summer.. it is fleeting that feeling but also it is so direct that you can remember that feeling for a long time.. love the peaches.. c
It’s a special moment, and I love to savour it. Savouring flat white peaches is another great moment. The little flat ones taste more peachy than any other peach that I have tasted.
We used to have a white flesh peach tree in NZ when i was a kid, they were small too , I swear my Mum would hide them and eat them when we were at school, she loved them! c
Please do not post pictures of cheese like that – it is about to drive me ‘around the bend!’
When a good cheese gets to that point it’s perfect – with good fresh bread and a glass of cool white Loire wine:)
So glad to hear that Al G. has finally had the decency to move on! And this meal, prepared (Al Fresco-style) sounds and looks like what summer must have been made for. Really perfect!
Just recovering from it. These long summer days, doing nothing, are exhausting:)
Beautiful barbecue and sardines – Biggles did the job
I had a little chat in the St.John today about red cross buns – they really liked the idea…
That would be brilliant – keep me in touch:)
a perfect post for the perfect summer’s day. Love this one Roger. You whisked me away for a while there
Glad it worked:)
My pregnant friend found out that she cannot indulge in her brie habit for nine months. I’m secretly giddy at this as I love brie and have no problems not sharing.
Good for you:)
Oh, fresh sardines. Love that shot!
They worked out really well:)
White peaches.. Coulommiers cheese, and a “basket” of fish.. perfection!
The sardines worked so well, but didn’t look too good when frazzled by the bbq:)
That was the photo I loved best..
During my visit home, Zia and I spoke of the variety of fish that were once available but no longer. Coincidentally, fresh sardines were mentioned and I bet your photos of same will bring back memories for her, just as they did for me. And I’d also bet that, once cooked, they may not have been photogenic but they were most certainly delicious!
Right on all counts:)