Partying….

August, theoretically a month of rest, seems to have been particularly hectic this year… However, we did take a day off last weekend for the traditional summer party, blessed this year by the most glorious day. (Last year we were all huddled in the kitchen around bowls of very chilly looking cold collations…)  This year’s offerings were boosted by two delicious bowls of salad from ‘Curly Catherine’ of the Printworks Kitchen but were otherwise pretty traditional. So traditional in fact that I did not record any of the recipes as such… So:

Roast beef very thinly sliced with equally thinly sliced rye bread for those who could and award-winning Smart Eat and Treats gluten (and everything-else)-free bread for those who couldn’t! The horseradish dip with which to ‘butter’ the bread was  made with grated horseradish, natural Coyo (coconut yogurt), olive oil, salt, pepper and lemon juice.

Tucked in a corner above was one of my Puy lentil creations which tend to look a bit like a ploughed field but do taste delicious – there are various recipes to be found in the pulses section of the vegetarian recipes on the FM site. This one included ginger, chilli, garlic and anchovies (so actually not vegetarian really…) along with red peppers for colour and halved tinned water chestnuts for ‘crunch’!

Other favourites were the eye-watering chrain made from freshly grated beetroot, freshly grated horseradish (yes, we are a bit obsessed with it) and organic cider vinegar – and our secret brew of Pimms…..  Plus a revival from my catering days – an open flan (gf/df pastry of course) with smoked mackerel and very long and slowly cooked onions, finished off with black pepper and lemon juice.

The dessert table was swelled by offerings from the previous day’s FreeFrom Eating Out Awards judging for category 8 – food manufactured for food service – including a gluten-free cheese cake and loads of chocolate brownies and biccies. And of course all those wonderful cherries which are just at the height of perfection right now. Here they are in full view with one serious luncher and several serious drinkers in the background!!

And now the garden needs to re-group for its next ‘event’ – that wedding that I have mentioned in the garden blog….  And it is going to look a great deal fuller than it does here with 110 people seated under an stretchy roof which will go from tree to tree leaving the sides open for guest to admire the flowers and our newly installed garden lighting…. More anon!