February has been a hot, dry month. While there is still lots of colour in the garden, all of my pot plants are looking a little tired, and the trees could definitely do with a good drink. The air has been filled with the cheerful chirruping of cicadas, day and night, a sound I always associate with summer.

The heat-loving tomatoes have been doing well. I’ve made two lots of relish, pasta sauce for the freezer and we have been eating them in salads and sandwiches every day.

We’re still picking runner beans, but the zucchinis have almost come to an end. We have been picking blueberries all month, with enough to freeze for future use. Yummy with breakfast cereal or oatmeal, and in pancakes, smoothies, crumbles, or muffins.

Our thyme is in full bloom at the moment. I love its distinctive aroma. The small pink flowers are so pretty and attract the bees to the garden. It’s lovely to be able to go out the back door and pick a few sprigs to use in cooking. The sprigs look pretty in a vase as well.

Although it is sad that another summer is almost over, I am definitely looking forward to some cooler weather and the changing colours of autumn.

Blueberry Muffins

1 cup plain flour
1 cup wholemeal flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
pinch salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup raw sugar
100 ml oil
1 cup milk
1 egg
1 cup blueberries

Preheat oven to 200º C.
Sift flours, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in sugar and blueberries. In another bowl, beat together egg and milk. Add oil and mix. Pour wet mixture into dry ingredients and mix to combine. Grease muffin pans and place spoonfuls of mixture into each one. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Let stand for 2-3 minutes before removing from pans. Makes 12 muffins.