Hegmonath – hay month, when grass was cut to feed cattle later in the year
July is high summer. By now, the weather gods have invariably got the memo and we can look forward to reliably long, hot days with balmy evenings, perfect for beaches, barbecues and all manner of outdoor activities. Although Midsummer’s Day has already come and gone, the best of the summer season is still stretching out in front of us.
It’s a bumper harvest time, and our shops and markets overflow with fresh, home-grown produce. We’re spoilt for choice in most departments and for the next few months putting together a three-course meal made entirely of local, home-grown or foraged seasonal produce should be a simple but rewarding challenge.
In what is usually our hottest month, light, fresh dishes are the order of the day, so simply cooked fish should feature frequently on the menu. There are soft fruits galore, too, and chilled or frozen desserts with the refreshing tang of raspberries, strawberries and cherries are the obvious choice.
Things are less straightforward on the vegetable patch as we wage war on the weeds and pests that also make the most of the harvest. Aggressive bindweed frequently threatens to strangle our genteel courgettes, and marauding greenfly flock to our chilli plants in huge numbers – our poor jalapeños become the aphid equivalent of Magaluf.
Ignoring the horticultural challenges, July is usually the very best of British summer in all its sunny, sweet glory. So whether it’s sandcastles on the beach, picnics in the park or just running through the garden sprinkler in your underpants, get out there and make the most of it.