Bee Orchids - a photo series

This year, in late spring, early summer, the Bee Orchids Ophrys apifera were particularly abundant and beautiful. I thought you might like a reminder. They may be one of the most common wild orchids in the area, even growing in people's gardens, but they never fail to make me stop for a moment to admire their lovely flowers. These were all photographed in our orchard, where we have about 200 of them growing in the grass.

For more about Bee Orchids, go to the page about them on Loire Valley Nature.

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A la cuisine hier: Paupiettes de lapin from the rabbito at the market. Paupiettes are escalopes of meat wrapped around a sausage mince stuffing and tied into a neat round bundle. They are usually cooked by braising, which is what I did.

Paneforte -- a sticky mixture of chocolate, nuts, candied peel and warm spices -- what's not to like? I used my own home grown nuts and home made candied peel. Note that there is no fat in this recipe other than in the small amount of chocolate and that which occurs naturally in the nuts. Clearly this is healthy diet food... I added substantial quantities of ginger and 5 pepper mix for extra zingy warmth.

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Orchard News: Some creature (a badger I assume) has dug a hole next to our little apricot tree. By the debris scattered about I suspect it was after some sort of underground fungus, but it might have been beetle larvae or something else entirely. I think I will fill in the hole with some nice home made compost.