
A Midsummer Birthday Lunch on the Beach: Earl Grey Gin and Tonics
We held a birthday lunch at our beach hut for my sister who celebrated a big birthday recently and rather than focus on the number, I wanted to focus on the girl.
When we were growing up my sister was a tomboy who could out-run or out-jump any child in our neighbourhood. She was a force to be reckoned with. She would often decide on the game or activity of the day, usually involving some impossible leap over a stream or fence that she would complete brilliantly of course – me not so. Hence why no one ever picked on my brother or me otherwise my sister would turn up and just her very presence would ensure that all peace would be resumed or else.
Our Mum would beg us to let her brush our hair but we were never still long enough so we had a permanent bed head state about us. We tore up the neighbourhood on our bikes; nail varnish and glitter was never something we worried about that came later and my sister shone at that too.
So for her lunch party, I decorated the beach hut with a wild flower garland because I thought that would be in line with the wild flower girl that was the envy of our neighbourhood.
She’s brilliant and although a long-term cancer sufferer she shows cancer that she’s a force to be reckoned with, so go and pick on someone else.


- 2 Earl Grey tea bags steeped in about 4 tablespoons of freshly boiled water
- Ice
- Gin
- Tonic
- Steep the tea bags in the hot water and allow to cool. Remove the tea bags and pour between 4 tall glasses. Add a shot of gin in each glass top with ice and then pour over tonic. Give each glass a good stir and drink.
The brushettas are quite firmly a Waitrose recipe from one of their Summer Harvest
leaflets but I adapted it somewhat but I cannot take the credit for the original idea.


- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 bunch of spring onions, trimmed then sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- pinch of dried chilli flakes
- 400g cannellini beans, drained
- 1 packet of rocket
- handful of sultanas and dates, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
- slices of sourdough bread
- Salt and pepper
- Heat the oil and add the onions then the garlic and chilli flakes and cook for a few minutes until starting to turn golden.
- Add the beans and after 2 minutes, add the rocket. Once the rocket starts of wilt, add the dried fruit and finally the vinegar.
- Mean while toast or griddle the bread slices and then top with the bean mixture.
- Season and serve.
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