Coming over the hill with a childrens favourite and a batch of scones

Garlic chive and cheddar Scones (recipe below)

Today we awoke to glorious spring weather.The rains have gone and the sun is shining at last.The seasonal temperature is back and "Tra la, it's May, the lusty Month of May, that lovely month when everyone goes blissfully astray....That darling month when everyone throws self-control away. It's time to do a wretched thing or two and try to make each precious day one you'll always rue."
The quality of light is one of the biggest feel-good factors this country has. The light here uplifts one, day after day. Dawn now breaks earlier, by about an hour,and by the time you have coffee in hand, the sun is shimmering through  and the Algarve’s blue skies are set for the day.
It makes the whole C19 caboodle feel a lot better.Until Whoaaaaahhhh I read the Saturday morning papers that is.....Oh Boris, who writes this shit for you' ?
I was transported back to 9am on a Saturday growing up in the 1950s and the voice of Derek McCulloch signalling the start of my favourite  programme, Childrens favourites.It conjured up Vernon Dalhart singing "the runaway train" or perhaps Burl Ives "Big rock candy mountain"

"The runaway train came over the hill and she blew blew,blew blew".

 
“or rather we are coming over what could have been a vast peak, as though we have been going through some huge Alpine tunnel. And we can now see the sunlight and the pastures ahead of us … ” Could that be the Mont Blanc tunnel? and in which case can we expect to see a post lockdown mad flurry of French tourists escaping to seek asylum in the Algarve. Ah,sunlight at the end of the tunnel,mountains ? a nod to the "sunlit uplands" of Brexit.But how do we access them? We access them apparently via this tunnel over a semi-vast peak,Could he give some instructions please of how to get there,he´s never been very clear about instructions has he? GPS does not work in a tunnel so it seems.Whatevs....

 
"The runaway train went over the hill and the last we heard she was going still
And she blew, blew, blew, blew"

So what better way to celebrate this glorious day if somewhat eccentrically interrupted,than by putting a batch of scones in the oven.This recipe spoke to me the minute I saw it on Carolyn Ekins blog The 1940's Experiment.

Would these work with garlic chives I wondered, it’s all I’ve got in the garden at the moment? They sounded really delicious and lets face it I´m a dab hand when it comes to knocking up some scones.They will make perfect accompaniment to our store cupboard chilli tonight.

Garlic chive and cheddar Scones
adapted from an adaptation by Carolyn Ekins

5 oz of white self-raising flour
2 oz of butter
1 egg and a little milk
1 oz grated cheddar or parmesan
a hefty handful of very finely chopped garlic chives
Large pinch of salt

Sift flour and large pinch of salt into a bowl
Dot in the butter and then rub into the flour
Add the grated cheese
Add the chopped wild garlic leaves
Add the eggs and milk mixture leaving a spoonful to brush tops of scones before baking
Form a dough that is not too sticky and can be handled.
On a floured surface roll out to about 1/2 inch thick and use cutter or end of glass to create 6 scones (you may get more if you are lucky)
Place on baking tray, brush with egg mixture and sprinkle a little more salt on the top of each scone
Place in pre-heated (200 C) oven for about 20 minutes until a nice mid golden colour.
Remove and place on wire rack.
Enjoy while still slightly warm with butter.