Chilled watermelon soup and Jazz’s midnight garden
Due to the ongoing fire risk, we’re not able to electrify the horses’ fences at the moment, as even the smallest stray spark could set the doormat-like grass underneath ablaze.
Jazz, our Arab horse, and Luc’s carpentry apprentice, is something of an opportunist, with a knack for making the most of any situation. In this case, he has no difficulty in escaping from the field every night to party with the adjacent wildlife. He’s currently living his best life.
I have a vague idea where he goes, as I follow the horse droppings and surprisingly, he doesn’t seem to be in search of food. Instead, he appears to be seeking out magical nooks and crannies in the surrounding forest. There’s is a little bench by a stream that he seems to favour, as the surrounding ground is covered in hoof prints. Maybe this is the scene of equine romantic trysts?
It reminds me of my favourite children’s book, ‘Tom’s Midnight Garden’. Tom used to slip out into the garden at his uncle’s house when the grandfather clock struck 13, where he would spend all night playing with a little girl called Hatty. I’m intrigued to know if Jazz has a ‘Hatty’ of his own…
We eat this chilled watermelon soup on repeat at the moment. It’s incredibly refreshing, and packed with everything you need to replenish after a hot summer’s day. Watermelon is rich in potassium, magnesium, vitamin C, as well as being a good source of antioxidants.
Recipe for chilled watermelon soup (serves 4-6)
- Half a watermelon, deseeded and cut into cubes
- 1 cucumber, deseeded and cut into cubes
- Half a lemon, juiced
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
- Handful of fresh mint
- Handful of fresh basil
- Pinch of salt
- 1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
Place all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Add a small amount of water if the mixture is too thick. Serve chilled!