Seasonal Recipes

Courgette & Aubergine Tian (Serves 4)

This easy dish is a good way to use up the glut of summer vegetables from your garden It's best served warm or even at room temperature and goes well as a side with meat or fish dishes A great make ahead dish, it can be stored in the refrigerator and quickly warmed up for a few minutes in a moderate oven before serving

Ingredients

• 2 medium sized courgettes sliced into about ¼ inch thick rounds

• 2 medium sized aubergines sliced into about ¼ inch thick rounds

• 2 cloves of garlic thinly sliced

• 1 tablespoon dried oregano

• 1 tablespoon paprika powder

• Salt and pepper

• Olive oil

• Zest of a lemon

• A handful of grated parmesan

Instructions

1 Preheat the oven to 180C Grease the bottom of a medium sized baking dish with some olive oil

2 Layer the aubergine and courgette slices in a circle alternating it with each other to cover the bottom of the dish Insert a few slices of garlic between the vegetables

3 Season with salt and pepper Sprinkle a little of the dried oregano and paprika powder and drizzle some olive oil over the top of the vegetables.

4 Repeat the layers and seasoning until all the courgette and aubergine slices are used up

5 Top the last layer with the lemon zest and grated parmesan

6 Transfer the dish to the oven and bake for around 35-40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for at least half an hour before serving

easy Crossword

(with thanks to rob Berr y)

ACROSS

1. A quantity that is twice as great as another (6)

4. Financial gain over a given period of time (6)

8. An atmosphere of depression (5)

9 A baby from birth to four weeks (7)

10 Lower in rank (5)

11 Freezing! (3-4)

12 Linked metal armour worn in medieval times (9)

15. The extent of something from side to side (7)

16. Extent; range (5)

17 The 8th planet of the sun (7)

18 A strong emotion (5)

19 German footwear and sportsware company (6)

20 A landlocked republic in easter Africa (6)

Down

2. A rectangular shape with unequal adjacent sides (6)

3 Overwhelmed with grief and sorrow (6-7)

5 Synthetic gemstone (5-8)

6 Motivation based on ideas of right or wrong (6)

7 The leader of a group of Native Americans (6-5)

13. A person you regard and know well (6)

14. Distribute or disperse widely (6)

Cr yptic Crossword

(with thanks to Mike Morris)

Clues Across

1 Giant insect going after dregs of warm ambrosia cream ( 7)

5 A bit wide for what appears to be a minor route? (5)

8. Snake Eve noticed at first in tree. (5)

9 One of the Stones being more outrageous on the radio? (7)

10 Ancient city precursor of the French language? (4)

11, 20 When was Doris given the opportunity to rewrite the fighters’ famous words? (3, 5, 4)

14 Fall back and die coming from Reynolds possibly? (3)

16. Do very well to provide a possible gateway to Europe. (5)

17. It may be acceptable to be among Democrats, but it is false. (3)

19 Heather pursuing celebrity getting the bird (8)

20 See 11

23. Strongly encouraged to go aboard once? (7)

25. Saucy dance? (5)

26 Just over half of what is now Ethiopia is just a great big hole (5)

27 Keep an eye on the lizard perhaps? (7)

Clues Down

1 Resume a different way to find the right size (7)

2. Sulked because only getting a small motorbike apparently? (5)

3 Is the holder of topless dresses? (4)

4. Cold edge of small loaf becoming hot on the plate? (3)

5. Dastardly villains milling round Seb. (8)

6 Commanded journalist to follow Russian turning up with gold (7)

7. Smashed little violin up to make into arrows. (5)

12. Hail penetrating clothing of Hun in retreat? (5)

13 Sides with the French law over honours? (8)

15. Support extremely courageous nature? (7)

18 Praised for action of reformation in depression (7)

19. Pies a feature turning up in early photographs. (5)

21 Small passage popular with tennis players’ call to go again (5)

22 Bins turned over to find a number of books? (1, 1, 1, 1 )

24. Turn down essences of older spice lumps? (3)

Decode the message

shaking things up: A Look at earthquakes in france

While France might not be the first country that comes to mind when discussing earthquakes, it has experienced a fair share of seismic activity On a seemingly typical evening in June 2023, a 5 9-magnitude tremor near La Rochelle abruptly disrupted the calm, catching locals off guard Although not extremely intense, the quake generated fear and caused significant damage

Earthquakes usually result from sudden breaks in subterranean rock, releasing energy and generating seismic waves that shake the ground Although France is not located on a significant fault line, it still experiences seismic activity at times due to the complex interactions of minor fault systems

Despite not matching the destructive scales of some global quakes, the 2023 tremor significantly impacted local communities Buildings, particularly those not designed for seismic resilience, suffered structural damage

Residents continue to recall the event vividly One local inhabitant, shared, “I was so shaken up I initially thought a plane was crashing into the house ” Another resident from Saint Jouin de Marnes described the experience as “quite terrifying,” underscoring the profound effect even rare seismic activities can have on communities

Though the June 2023 earthquake is fresh in memory, it’s far from the region’s first seismic event the level of seismic activity varies significantly across different regions Although the seismicity level is relatively low to moderate in mainland France, also known as the Hexagon, the risk of earthquakes and tremors is quite high in some territories

France experiences regular seismic activity, with earthquakes of magnitude greater than 2 frequently recorded These quakes can occur anywhere, but their frequency and intensity are higher in certain regions For instance, the Alps and the Pyrenees are more prone to seismic movements due to their geological structure Here are a few of the most powerful quakes that have shaken France:

1660 - Calabria, Italy, earthquake: Despite the epicenter being in Italy, this quake significantly affected southeastern France, causing damage in Marseille and its surrounding cities

1843 - Roermond earthquake: Originating in the Netherlands, this quake’s effects reached northeastern France, causing infrastructural damage

1909 - Lambesc earthquake: This devastating quake wreaked havoc in Provence, leading to extensive damage and loss of life

1967 - Carpentras earthquake: Centered in southeastern France’s Carpentras, this event caused considerable infrastructural damage

Despite the generally low seismicity, France has experienced significant historical earthquakes that have shaped its understanding and approach to seismic risk The country has implemented measures to monitor seismic activities and educate the public about earthquake preparedness This involves studying past seismic events, assessing the vulnerability of buildings, and developing emergency response plans

However, predicting earthquakes remains a complex task Scientists continue to research and develop methods to better understand and anticipate these natural phenomena

For more information visit www.georisques.gouv.fr