Category Archives: harmony
22 Mar, 2011
Glorious food, wonderful company, the breathtakingly beautiful Cotswold countryside and the ultra chic ambience that is Daylesford Organic? Yes it’s the perfect recipe for an amazing day out for a group of food writers, photographers and bloggers. I was lucky enough to join in on this recent lovely day, and came home brimming with inspiration and a sense of well being. Organised by the delightful and charming Silvana de Soissons (publisher of The Foodie Bugle), our day included an extensive tour of the farm shop, cafe, cookery school and gardens as well as cakes, pastries,and a superb lunch. Here are a few snaps I made on the day, I hope it gives you a flavour of the place. May I suggest that you visit The Foodie Bugle to read more about our day, as Silvana has written a wonderful account here.
Our day began with coffee and cakes in the cafe. This was tricky as I desperately wanted to be greedy and taste all the cakes but was too busy meeting and catching up with the rest of the gang. And it was lovely to chat with Rosie and Camilla from Daylesford. (Thanks again for looking after us so well.) Richard Smith, the farm manager chatted to us about the farming methods they are using at Daylesford, the seed stock and dairy breeds, all incredibly interesting. I’ll just have to go back soon to get some cakes!
Lunch was in the glasshouse overlooking the Chelsea award winning herb gardens. Bathed in early Spring sunshine, the setting is impeccable. But look at this magnificent spread of hams, salads, tarts. Delicicious eh? I keep thinking about those sausage rolls and I am going to try to make some as similar as possible later this week. I’ll post my recipe when I get it right!
The spa and garden shop are equally stylish. Calm, muted colours and a simple, natural mood. Lovely.
So there you have it. If you get a chance to visit the Cotswolds – and I really recommend that you do – don’t miss a stop at Daylesford. I’m sure most visitors to Extra-Relish love gorgeous food like I do, so I know you’ll enjoy it.
Daylesford Organic, Gloucestershire. www.daylesfordorganic.com
I am so excited about Spring. I’ve been out and about with my camera, and feeling much inspiration to cook, so lots of photographs and recipes coming soon. Px
in Colours, Daylesford organic, Growing Food, Photography, flowers, food, food writing, friends, garden, harmony | Comments (14)
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27 Jan, 2011
Sometimes it’s only the old favourites that will do. Those wonderful, comforting dishes that nourish the body and make you feel happy. For me, leeks and potatoes are one of those glorious long standing marriages of pure comfort and deliciousness. Together in a simple soup they are real harmony. Recently, I’ve really been craving those nourishing foods so I’ve been enjoying lots of this lovely soup. I like to add other richly nutritious greens like watercress or spinach for an extra boost of goodness.
Do you remember last time I mentioned that my lovely husband has been doing a little more of the cooking lately? I’ve been been trying to teach him a bit as he goes along. Some people are not natural cooks are they? (It’s that good old diplomatic side of me speaking here!) I firmly believe that everyone can cook, it’s a matter of common sense and if nothing else you can always follow a decent recipe. But that real magic, that blend of art and chemistry that makes for the yummiest food, well it’s an instinctive thing isn’t it? I wouldn’t say that D is a natural cook. But given the chance – and he doesn’t get much chance with me in the way all the time – he does really well. In fact, he is now a master of this lovely soup. It’s actually even nicer because he’s made it for me, and that makes me feel very happy.
It has been a proper old winter, this one. Bitterly cold on many days, dull and gloomy at times too. It’s got a quiet beauty about it though, doesn’t it? I still love to go out walking even though I don’t really like being cold. There is always something interesting to see in the stark winter landscape and I love to see the horses, cows and piggies in the fields around our village. And then come home to a big warm bowl of nourishing, homemade soup.
If you feel like sharing any thoughts or ideas or sending me a link to your website/blog, please do leave a comment. It’s always wonderful to hear your thoughts.
Otherwise, until next time. With some more vibrant colours I think. P.
in Leek Potato Soup, Leeks, Photography, Potatoes, Soup, cold, frost, harmony, nature, nutrition, river, seasons, warming soup, winter | Comments (4)
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01 Jul, 2010
Perhaps for the first time since we moved to England, it feels like we are having a proper summer. At least the longest spell of sunny days in a row. So many flowers are sprinkled though the fields and grasses, the evenings are long and warm, and the farm shops bursting with lovely produce and salad leaves. All inspiration to prepare simple, delicate cool dishes. We have had quite a lot of these fresh pea shoots around recently. Dainty little greens that have a subtle fragrance – or essence – of fresh peas. I thought these shoots would provide a lovely balance to the smoked salmon, so I set about pairing them up.
Lemon is so evocative of sunshine and has a gorgeous uplifting aroma. I think the juice can be a bit harsh with a lightly smoked salmon so I decided to make a dressing simply of oil infused with the the lemon zest along with some crushed black pepper. And added few capers for a touch of sharpness and contrast.
This is such a simple dish, but so delicious and elegant. As with most things in life, it’s the quality of what you put into it that makes it good. Fresh ingredients and minimum fuss – perfect! I served myself this dish for lunch with some buttered slices of brown bread and an icy glass of water. White wine would have been lovely, but I still had the school run ahead of me!
I’ve put together a recipe which follows, although it’s hardly needed. This salad is really more of an association!
Smoked salmon and pea shoot salad
For two servings
3 tablespoons of good, light salad oil. I use rapeseed oil for this.
zest of half a lemon
half a teaspoon of crushed black peppercorns
200 g of smoked salmon. I prefer a very lightly smoked salmon, but that’s down to what you like best.
100g of pea shoots. Look for these in farm shops or the salad section of fancy supermarkets. Or best of all, grow your own!
2 small teaspoons of capers
What to do:
Add the zest and pepper to the oil and allow to infuse for a while. These are strong flavours and don’t need long, maybe 10 minutes. In the meantime, divide the smoked salmon between two pretty plates. In a bowl, very lightly toss the pea shoots with some of the flavoured oil and then divide the greens between the plates. Sprinkle over the capers. Finally drizzle the oil together with bits of zest and pepper around the plates in an artistic fashion!
in Growing Food, Salad, Salmon, food, harmony, seasons, summer | Comments (17)
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