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Drum roll please …..

After extensive road testing, I am delighted to announce the latest temptation from the Just Add Parsley kitchen:



Grazing platters

£10 per head (or £12 for the deluxe platter).

Just Add Parsley grazing platters are an abundant, fresh, irresistible array of delicious delicacies, stylishly presented.  A complete meal for 2 or 4 making them the easiest, most portable and smartest of picnics, sharing lunches/suppers or gifts.   

A typical platter would include a selection from the following:

  • cured meats,
  • cheeses,
  • scotch egg,
  • a home made savoury tart,
  • hand sliced, home baked ham, 
  • pâté,
  • falafel,
  • sliced fresh & dried fruits
  • salad leaves & tomatoes, sliced pepper, carrot batons, cucumber,
  • hummus, 
  • tzatziki,
  • tabbouleh,
  • home made chutney/relish,
  • skewers (e.g. satay or tomato, basil & mozzarella), 
  • pitta bread, oatcakes, crackers and/or homemade bread.

The possibilities are (almost) endless. You might prefer:
fish & seafood, brunch or even dessert. Entirely up to you.

The platters can, of course, be tailored to suit vegetarian, vegan diets and any dietary requirements or preferences.

Please contact me in your usual way to find out more.

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Tastes of Autumn

w/c mon 5 october 2020

Seasons of mists and mellow fruitfulness


If last week was all about the abundance of autumn, this week is all about the wild, wet and windy weather. It’s definitely time to light the fire and hunker down for a second Autumnal themed week. This week, inspired by the wonderful seasonal fruit and vegetables of autumn and the glorious colours of this season of mists and mellow fruitfulness (currently only visible in brief glimpses amidst the rain), I shall be focussing on delicious, warming, comforting flavours to fend off the soggy, chilly air!

This week’s menu is 🍂

Soup: (£5.50): Curried parsnip & apple

Salads: (£6.50 large/4.50 small)

(1) a gloriously colourful and flavoursome Clementine, stilton and beetroot

(2) roasted sweetcorn slaw.

Tart:  (£16 whole/£9 half) Butternut squash, sage & hazelnut

Supper:  (£12 for 2, £22 for 4 or £5 per head for more) Cassoulet with a difference: pork and pear. Packed with vegetables, herbs, fennel seeds , pears (from my garden) and cannellini beans.

Pie:  (£6.50 per individual pie) beef, ale & mushroom

Energy bars (£1.50 each)

Homemade (from homegrown fruit) Damson Jelly, Damson Cheese and Redcurrant Jelly all £7 per jar

Please order in your usual way by 8pm on Tuesday 5th.  Everything will be ready for collection or delivery on the afternoon of Thursday 7th or on Friday 8th.  Deliveries to Duncombe School or in the Hertford area will be made on the morning of Friday 8th.

Please notify me of any allergies or dietary requirements at the time of ordering.

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Autumn Feast

w/c monday 28 September 2020

This weekend I walked through the lanes and across fields on the outskirts of our village with our slightly daft, 14 month old labrador, Daphne. It was freezing cold, blowing a gale and raining at times. Not my favourite conditions! I am definitely a fair weather dog walker by preference and I have been thoroughly spoilt by the long, warm, sunny days of the seemingly endless summer of lockdown (and by having my husband at home who has done more than his fair share of the wet & wild walks) so it was quite a shock to the system (and a wake up call that Autumn has firmly taken hold).

But, Autumn has its benefits. Apples, blackberries and damsons to name but 3. Our apple trees produced an entire car boot full of enormous apples this year. Some must have been half a kilo each! Most have gone off to be juiced but I have saved a tray or 2 for cooking. Some will become chutney, some will be stewed for pies and my granola and I have decided to include some in this week’s menu.

Our 2 hedgerow damson trees have also excelled themselves this year. I have never seen so many damsons. Enough to make 33 jars of damson jelly, 22 jars of damson cheese (my new absolute favourite accompaniment for a home baked ham & cheese platter), 5 tubs of compote to serve with yoghurt & granola or to make into desserts) and I have 3 litres of damson gin and an experimental litre of damson vanilla vodka infusing away slowly in my barn store. I am now well and truly “over” damsons!

I haven’t picked any blackberries yet but I will go back this week to pick some for this week’s menu. Even in the gloom of my weekend battle against the elements, they looked deliciously ripe and juicy. Daphne absolutely loved them too so I used them as treats to encourage good behaviour.

So with all this nature’s bounty in my mind, even though today is a much nicer day, I was drawn to an Autumnal menu for this week.

Soup: (£5.50) Creamy leek & potato with thyme

Salads: (£6.50 large/4.50 small)

(1) Leon “snip-it” autumn salad of shaved parsnips, leeks, apple, walnuts, chives & watercress in yoghurt, maple syrup, walnut oil, cinnamon & cumin dressing

(2) Tabblouleh – a bulgur wheat salad packed full of herbs (including the last of the mint from my herb garden), Green Tye tomatoes, spring onions & lemon

Tart:  (£16 whole/£9 half) the ever popular Ottolenghi sweet potato, goat’s cheese, pumpkin seeds and chilli tart

Supper:  (£12 for 2, £22 for 4 or £5 per head for more) Baked butcher’s sausages, apples & blackberries with mustard and maple syrup.

Pie:  (£6.50 per individual pie) Vegetable Harira – Moroccan spiced lentils, chick peas and loads of vegetables including sweet potatoes, tomatoes & carrots.

Energy bars (£1.50 each)

Redcurrant Jelly, Damson Jelly and Damson Cheese (all £7 per jar)

Please order in your usual way by 8pm on Tuesday 29th.  Everything will be ready for collection or delivery on the afternoon of Thursday 1 October or on Friday 2nd.  Deliveries to Duncombe School or in the Hertford area will be made on the morning of Friday 2nd.

Please notify me of any allergies or dietary requirements at the time of ordering.

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An eclectic menu

w/c Monday 14 September 2020

When I was planning my menu this week I spent quite some time thinking about a theme or a style of food and nothing seemed quite right which is when I decided to choose dishes which I would really like to cook and eat this week. So here we are, eclectic but nonetheless delicious.

Soup: Curried lentil, tomato & coconut (£5.50)

Salads: (£4.50 (small)/£6.50 large)
(1) Green beans & mange tout with homegrown baby potatoes & salsa verde (with/without bacon)
(2) Late summer waldorf with pecan nuts, homegrown pears, celery & stilton

Tart: (£16 whole/£9 half) Beetroot, walnut & blue cheese

Supper: (£12 for 2, £22 for 4 or £5 per head for more)
(1) Baked peppers stuffed with goat’s cheese, ricotta, artichokes, pine nuts & basil
(2) Chicken with chickpeas tomato & chorizo

Pie: (£6.50 per individual pie)
(1) Mushroom with thyme, walnuts & paprika
(2) Chicken with tarragon in cider & creme fraiche

Energy bars (£1.50 each)

Please order in your usual way by 5pm on Tuesday 15th September. Everything will be ready for collection or delivery on the afternoon of Thursday 17th or Friday 18th September. Deliveries to Duncombe School or in the Hertford area will be made on the morning of Friday 18th.

Please notify me of any allergies or dietary requirements at the time of ordering.

Have a good week.

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Exciting news from the Just Add Parsley kitchen!

It’s good to be back in the kitchen after what feels like an eternity.

Since my last weekly menu quite a lot has happened in the Just Add Parsley kitchen. I have had the pleasure of providing afternoon tea for a baby shower, 10 different flavours of ice cream and an array of tarts for a family 70th birthday party, brunch for a girls’ weekend, “back to school” energy bar & treat stashes and a variety of dishes for various clients to take away with them on their staycations. I am always delighted to provide ideas and menus for bespoke events and occasions such as these.

As well as cooking, I’ve also been innovating and developing new menu ideas for every day and for special occasions.

To this end, coming soon will be sumptuous and delicious Just Add Parsley graze platters; jam packed with lavish, carefully selected & locally sourced ingredients from artisan cheeses, charcuterie and antipasti to homemade dips and chutneys for a lavish lunch/evening “choosing” meal.

Alternatively you could opt for the brunch platter which comes with homemade pancakes, waffles, fruit compote and granola together with organic fresh fruit, artisan breads and pastries.

Watch this space for the launch of this exciting new range.

But for now, pies.

Each week I will be including 2 pie options within my weekly menu. One meat/fish pie and one vegetarian for £6.50 each. As you would expect, Just Add Parsley pies are all packed to the brim with a varied range of delicious fillings from traditional steak & ale, chicken, tarragon & leek or mushroom & thyme to the more adventurous spiced lentil and spinach, squash & sage or moroccan spiced lamb.

I can’t wait to get started and to hearing from you!

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Just Add Parsley is back….

Staycation over, children back in school, AGA serviced and professionally cleaned, time to get back in the kitchen.

Look out for tomorrow’s post with this week’s menu. I have some exciting ideas to share with you…..

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Family supper week

w/c Monday 13 July 2020

Where did this school term go? My children broke up for summer last Friday and so this week will be the last week that I will be cooking my weekly menu until September. Thank you to everyone who has ordered from Just Add Parsley in recent months. I am very appreciative of your custom and generous support of my business.

Obviously, I will not be hanging up my apron for the whole of the summer and I would be delighted still to receive orders for:
– your favourite dishes or treats;
– bespoke dinners;
– parties; or
– to fill your freezer with suppers or ice cream to see you through the summer.

My theme for this week’s menu reflects the fact that my children are now home and requiring to be fed at regular intervals! Maybe you have a similar feeling? So I have chosen dishes which we all enjoy together.

Soup: chickpea, sweet potato and chorizo (£5.50)

Salads: (£6.50/4.50)
(1) Summer waldorf (with pecan nuts, pears, celery and stilton)
(2) Couscous, Green Tye cherry tomatoes & herbs
(3) Bean salad (peas, broad beans, artichoke hearts, puy lentils, mint and leaves in a garlic vinaigrette

Supper: (£12 for 2, £22 for 4 and £5 ph for more)
(1) “Spanish” chicken (roasted chicken thighs with garlic, orange, red peppers, new potatoes, paprika, Green Tye cherry tomatoes and fennel seeds;
(2) slow cooked beef stroganoff; and
(3) Thai green curry (with chicken, prawns or vegetables)

Tart: (£16/£9):
(1) Asparagus & Taleggio

Ice creams/sorbets: (£10 per 750ml tub)
All the familiar flavours or your own favourites made to order. Have you tried my Frosé sorbet yet (rosé wine, strawberries and a hint of lemon)?

Please order in your usual way by 5pm on Tuesday 14th July for collection or delivery on Thursday 16th July or Friday 17th. Deliveries in the Hertford area will be made on the morning of Friday 17th.

Please notify me of any allergies or dietary requirements at the time of ordering.

Have a good week.

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Summer picnic week

w/c Monday 6 July 2020


Last week of term in our family this week so, even though the sun seems to have disappeared for now, I am looking forward to the summer holidays and maybe a bit more time to enjoy a picnic in the garden (or even the park!).

We’ve also been fruit picking in our kitchen garden and already I have made 42 (yes, 42!) jars of redcurrant jelly (and I’m only half way there!).

I have also used the blackcurrants, white currants, raspberries, loganberries & tayberries to make a delicious and zingy fruit compote which is amazing with yoghurt and granola for a luxurious breakfast or cream & meringue as an indulgent dessert.

So with all this in mind, this week’s menu is a little different. No soup this week because you wouldn’t really take soup on a picnic.

Salads: (£6.60/4.50)
(1) Tuna Niçoise – a classic and a meal in itself;
(2) Caprèse – simply delicious combination of Green Tye tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella and home grown basil; and
(3) a zingy salad of baby new potatoes, soured cream, orange & lemon zest, capers, gherkins and mustard.

Sausage Rolls: (£3 each) you can’t have a picnic without homemade sausage rolls!

Main course: (£12 for 2, £22 for 4 and £5 ph for more) chicken breast or salmon fillet marinated in homemade sweet chilli jam, cooked sous vide and served with a salad of pink grapefruit, avocado, cashew nuts, leaves and a harissa dressing..

Quiche: (£25 (serves 6), individual quiche £5)
(1) bacon & mature cheddar
(2) smoked haddock, home grown spinach and gruyère.

Ice creams/sorbets: (£10 per 750ml tub)
Strawberries & cream ice cream
Pimms sorbet (with orange, cucumber & mint)
Frosé sorbet (rosé wine, strawberries and a hint of lemon)

Berry compote: (£7 per jar)
Redcurrant jelly: (£7 per jar)

Please order in your usual way by 5pm on Tuesday 7th July for collection or delivery on Thursday 9th July or Friday 3rd. Please note that deliveries to Duncombe School or in the Hertford area will be made on the afternoon of Thursday 9th.

Please notify me of any allergies or dietary requirements at the time of ordering.

Have a good week.

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La la la la la America

w/c monday 22nd June 2020

Thank heavens the sun is out again. Everything always seems so much better when it’s sunny. The farmer is haymaking in our field as I write so it must properly be summer now.

This time last year we were picking redcurrants in the garden and packing our bags for our “big adventure”. No big adventure to look forward to this year sadly but the redcurrants are very nearly there so from next week I will probably be picking ready to make huge vats of redcurrant jelly and maybe I will add them to the strawberries and raspberries to make some summer puddings.

For now though I have a menu inspired by the Americas this week.

Soup: Corn & red pepper (£5.50)

Salads: (£6.60/4.50)
(1) roasted red peppers with mozzarella (I know that’s not American but this creamy white cheese goes really nicely with the sweet juicy brightly coloured peppers);
(2) watermelon & halloumi salad with mixed grains (including quinoa, red rice and wild rice) – it must be a red & white thing; and
(3) zucchini & hazelnut.

Supper: (£12 for 2, £22 for 4 and £5 ph for more)

(1) Bahian fish and prawns – originating from the NE corner of Brazil, this dish is a flavoursome mix of meaty chunks of white fish, prawns, peppers, tomatoes, peanut and coconut. Squeeze on a little lime juice and serve with rice for a delicious supper.
(2) Chilli con carne – needs no introduction and everyone has their own favourite recipe. I like to add a generous swirl of maple syrup and a handful of dark chocolate to add richness and a depth of flavour, which results in a real crowd pleaser (in my house, at least).

Tart: (£16/£9) chicken fajita
Honey & peanut butter energy bars (£1.50 each)

Please order in your usual way by 5pm on Tuesday 23rd June for collection or delivery on Thursday 25th June or Friday 26th. Deliveries to Duncombe School or in the Hertford area will be made on the morning of Friday 26th.

Please notify me of any allergies or dietary requirements at the time of ordering.

Have a good week.


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All things bright & beautiful …

w/c mon 8 June 2020

The theme for this week’s menu is “colourful”. It may seem like and eclectic mix but when choosing the menu I was drawn to bright, cheerful colours. Maybe I wanted some vivid colour to enliven the dull, chilly weather?; maybe I just needed to inject a bit of life into the monotony of lockdown; or may be because I was so happy this morning to find the most beautiful cluster of tiny bee orchids in our field which our wonderful gardener has nurtured and protected from enthusiastic mowing, curious children and a lolloping puppy.

Whatever, the reason, I find nothing more energising and happy than vibrant colour so I hope this week’s menu brings a smile to your face and puts a spring in your step.

Soup: Cream of roasted tomato (£5.50)

Salads: (£4.50 (small)/£6.50 large)
(1) Asparagus, new potatoes & salsa verde (with/without bacon)
(2) Couscous with cherry tomatoes & herbs
(3) French bean & mangetout with hazelnuts & orange

Tart: (£16 whole/£9 half) Beetroot, walnut & blue cheese

Supper: (£12 for 2, £22 for 4 or £5 per head for more)
(1) Slow cooked red pepper & paneer curry
(2) Chicken with tarragon, asparagus and carrots in a cider sauce

Energy bars (£1.50 each)

Granola (£5.50 per 350g bag)

Homemade elderflower cordial (£6 for 600ml)

Please order in your usual way by 5pm on Tuesday 9th June. Everything will be ready for collection or delivery on the afternoon of Thursday 11 June or Friday 12 June. Deliveries to Duncombe School or in the Hertford area will be made on the morning of Friday 12th.

Please notify me of any allergies or dietary requirements at the time of ordering.

Have a good week.