Breakfast

My cousin Andrea had the clever idea of meeting for breakfast. I decided to cook it, instead of going out. I think breakfast is one of the best parts of the day, but seldom enjoy it as a meal. It's usually coffee and a roll, or toast, for me, and having a proper breakfast is a real treat.

Beautiful figs are in season at the moment: deep purple skins and bright red inside with a slightly tart flavour after the sweetness. They are perfect, I think.

But the main event was a cheese souffle with crispy, herbed bacon on the side (I baked it in a roasting pan with thyme, savoury and parsley). Plus croissants (Woolworths croissants are the best I've had: they import them from France, the pastry frozen), apricot jam and farm butter, coffee and passion fruit juice.

Souffles are not difficult to make, despite their reputation, and frankly, I think its easier to produce one souffle than several perfectly poached or fried eggs. Or maybe I'm delusional. It is entirely likely that I was ratty around the time the souffle was on the table waiting to be eaten. Souffles don't like to wait.

I used Elizabeth David's cheese souffle recipe from French Provincial Cooking, and doubled it so that it was enough for four. She also writes a very good introduction to souffle-making in general.

As we sat under the awning on the patio a fine mist of rain fell, and my mother bolted her breakfast before heading into the garden to work in the cool after the serial heat waves that Cape Town has been melting through. Autum is a-coming.