Pantry

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.

Elderflower cordial

The elderflower has suddenly burst into bloom like big white splashes of confetti scattered throughout the hedgerows. It is looking and smelling so fresh and summery that I have put it high on my list of half term jobs to do a spot of foraging with the children to pick great armfuls and then to make my annual supply of elderflower cordial.

So this is the recipe I thought I would share this week.

I am sure there are loads of recipes on the internet but I always use the one which appears in the Much Hadham cook book. This gem of a book compiles an eclectic mix of favourite recipes curated in 2009 by a volunteer group to raise funds to build a new children’s playground. My only substantive contribution was proof reading the copy. However, this book has become my “go to” source for a wide variety of reliable recipes from a hot crab dip to chocolate biscuits with all manner of countryside foraged jams, jellies and chutneys in between.

The recipe calls for a handful of ingredients, a bit of patience and that’s about it.

Ingredients

1.4l water
1kg sugar
50g citric acid
4 lemons, sliced
30-ish heads of elderflower

Method

Put the water and sugar in a big saucepan or jelly pot and heat to dissolve the sugar. Bring to the boil and then take off the heat and allow to cool before adding the lemons, citric acid and elderflower. Stir, cover and allow to infuse for 48 hours stirring occasionally.

Strain through muslin and bottle. Keep in a chilly larder or refrigerate and the cordial will last up to a year. It also freezes well (in plastic bottles).

Dilute with still or sparkling water to serve. The cordial is also delicious poured neat over strawberries (and left to macerate for an hour or so) or maybe added to a lemon cake (as per Prince Harry & Meghan).