Weekly Menu

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.

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.

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…..

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.

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.