cool food for cool days

So my friends and family back home will hate me for saying this, but: where is summer?  It is almost August in London and there are only a few signs of it. 

I still sleep with a duvet on at night, most mornings (and days) need at least a cardigan or longer sleeves, and I am still cooking nice HOT food to keep us warm when the cold breezes rush through the window.

split pea soup

best biscuits ever

(sidenote: like my mother, I like to have the windows open as often as possible; one day I left the windows open when I left the flat and when we came back SJ asked "You left them open?"  yes, yes I did :)... ).

One of the things that I find charming about the native English during the summer is that they don't know how to deal with 'heat'.  I say 'heat' in inverted commas because by heat they mean anything over 70s, or anything just involving direct sunlight on you.  This past weekend we had a mini heat wave, and no one could cope.  

I'm sure the temperature went up to at least 85 F.

However, the one place that never fails to feel like summer is the Underground.  They are just beginning to talk about installing some kind of ventilation or air system for the hundreds (thousands?) of commuters who tough it out like roasting sardines everyday.

vintage poster from the London Transport Museum

But to all of you roasting in the U.S.A., I apologise, but we like it cool and damp over here.