The much-anticipated “barbecue summer” may have turned out to be no more than a meteorologist’s fantasy, but I still live in hope that the odd sunny afternoon may see my darling husband out in the garden, tongs and spatula in hand, slaving over some hot coals. In the event of such an occasion, I have a delicious salad — something a bit different — that can double up as a starter and also goes well with grilled fish or chicken should the heavens open after all.

Fussy eating in children is exasperating, boring and stressful. But one thing is for sure — you are not alone. Nine out of 10 children go through at least one long fussy stage.

Every child is different of course, but there are some picky preferences that many children share — no lumps, no green bits, no vegetables, the list goes on.

Do you ever try to get ahead of yourself? I do. In fact, I am such an expert, I can now type faster than my computer can display the words. I am not sure if it is useful for anything, except, strangely, making me feel better.

This is one of my favourite Italian summer dishes. It is quick, tasty and is great eaten warm or cold. The quality of the ingredients is key, so choose the best tomatoes you can find — they can be vine, plum or cherry; red, yellow or green, as long as they are ripe, sweet and juicy. Get the tuna in olive oil, or, failing that, sunflower oil. And the olives should be good quality Mediterranean olives, preferably marinated in oil — green ones work just as well as black. Fresh mozzarella is a good addition, but you can leave it out if you want the dish parev.

On a hot summer’s day, a chilled soup is the perfect starter for a supper party. It is essential to prepare it one day in advance so that the flavours have a chance to blend and the purée to thicken slightly.
Mixed fruit soups were particularly popular in pre-war days in Jewish households in the Baltic states, Austria and Germany. This recipe makes the most of all the luscious summer-stone fruits, accented with cinnamon and finished with a dash of creamy fromage frais or Greek yoghurt. You can serve it in a wine glass or a soup bowl as an unusual starter or a dessert.

You can never imagine your children will be off your hands for a single day, never mind all of the summer holidays. I remember when those seven weeks felt like an eternity. I spent my time with them going to the cinema, practising my skills at the paint-me pottery place, eating at the pizza joint, and then falling exhausted into bed at 7pm — and that was only day one! I lay there thinking how I was going to fill the other 53 days without going broke and insane. And what was I going to prepare for them to eat?

In Rome, fried courgette flower is the mother of fried battered vegetables — quite possibly as popular as bruschetta with tomatoes. You would eat it in a casual trattoria or pizzeria as a quick starter before dinner. It is often prepared in a thick batter, but I prefer it in a lighter one of egg and flour. That way you get a better taste of the courgette flower, as well as the filling of mozzarella and anchovies.

The complex, heady perfume of muscatel grapes combined with a hint of fresh lemon zest make elderflower a taste of an English summer unlike any other. Harvesting your own is fun and easy. Pick the flowers away from busy roads when the tiny pale green flowers have turned to creamy white — their gorgeous heady perfume is a sign they are at their peak. Place your sprigs in a tightly-closed container or zipper-lock plastic bag.

If hedge-picking is not for you, buy some organic elderflower cordial. Mix it with a dash of white wine and sparkling water for an unusual spritzer.

With three teenagers, I have lived through many years of exam stress.

Well, what I mean is, I get stressed. They, on the other hand, look as if they are studiously peering at their computer screen, but on closer inspection are engrossed in online poker.