Courgettes & Rainstorms (and Other Small Joys of Late Summer)

A late-summer note from the boat, and a simple salad for warm days

Hey friends,

Thank you so much for reading this week’s post. We hope you enjoy these scribbles from our little floating home — a few reflections on the changing weather, life on the water, and the quiet shift into late summer. We’re also sharing a simple seasonal recipe that’s been a staple for us lately — a beautiful courgette salad that’s just right for these warm, restful evenings.

We hope you enjoy it.

This week I got caught in the rain. Not just any old dribble-down, mizzly sort of rain, but the biblical kind — the sort that soaks you to the bone in seconds, rattling the ground like a giant timpani drum. The sort of rain that leaves you standing there, stunned and smiling at its sheer force. It’s been a long time coming. And as I stood, droplets dripping from my nose, hair wet enough to shake off like a dog, I couldn’t help but feel nature’s relief. Finally, the thirst had been quenched.

I probably don’t need to tell you it’s been a scorching summer — hotter than hot, in fact. And I’ll be honest, living on a narrowboat isn’t ideal during a heatwave. Our home is essentially a floating tin can, and in hot weather, things get decidedly… sticky.

Our little floating home

To cope, we deployed the narrowboater’s heatwave survival plan: find the shadiest spot on the canal and hope for the best. But lately, by mid-afternoon even the shade seemed to melt, the ground oozing heat back into the air in a shimmering haze. At that point, the only real option is to strip down to the bare essentials and lie under a damp towel, praying for a breeze.

Thankfully, this week brought a shift. The heat broke. The kind of English summer most of us know well — comfortably grey. Almost overnight, the landscape around our boat transformed: brittle grass turned lush and green, the hedgerows began to fatten with the promise of the first ripening blackberries, and plum-laden branches drooped low over the towpath, turning more vividly colourful with each passing day. It’s as though everything can breathe again.

The first of the homegrown beauties from the lotty

It’s incredible how quickly things change. We’re hoping the rain gives our little allotment a much-needed boost. It’s been a rough season. The water butts were dry by the end of May, and most of our June seedlings simply crisped up and vanished. Still, a few brave plants have held on, and we’re quietly hopeful for a gentle second spring — one that might coax our fennel, carrots, and runner beans into life.

The courgettes, at least, have proved resilient. A few zeppelins among them, yes, but they’re generous things, so satisfying to grow, they give and give. During the heat, we found ourselves leaning into this simple salad. It’s not quite a recipe, really. More a joyful muddle of good things, mostly led by the garden.

The sun setting gently over the canal

Now that the evenings are cooler, it’s the perfect thing to eat as the day fades — when the sun slips behind the trees and the sky starts stitching together that soft mosaic of purples and pinks. It requires almost no cooking, yet feels like such a reward. A bowlful of late summer.

I hope you enjoy it — it’s been a regular in our floating home these past few weeks. And if you can, do hunt out different coloured courgettes. The yellows and stripy ones bring such a sparkle to the plate.

Courgette, Marinated Feta & Hazelnut Salad

A sunshine-filled summer salad with bold, herby flavours and beautiful textures.

Ingredients (serves 2 as a main or 4 as a side)

• 200g block of feta

• 2–3 sprigs of fresh thyme

• 1 sprig of rosemary

• 4 garlic cloves (1 for marinating, 3 for the salad)

• Olive oil (about 150ml for marinating, plus extra for cooking)

• 2 medium courgettes, thinly sliced into rounds

• 2 good handfuls of rocket

• 2 handfuls of fresh basil leaves