Nettles!

I've felt rather bereft about the fact I haven't been able to go to Northumberland and search for and pick Wild Garlic to make pesto (and to just eat!)
Lakota (who used to blog and wrote the most hilarious blog posts) posted that she had made Nettle soup and served her family nettles with their dinner.
This made me really excited as I know there are lots of nettles near where I live and I could get them on my walk.  I only hoped they hadn't all gone to flower (as apparently they taste horrible when they are at that stage

I woke up on Monday morning super-excited to get out early and go for a walk.  I prepared by taking a large carrier bag, scissors and gloves, making sure I was wearing long sleeves and trousers and boots.

After a brief trip into Londis to grab a few things (there were 3 women inside and we were all very sensible about maintaining our distance, warning each other when we were wanting to go backwards, waiting politely), I headed towards the church surrounded by fields.  By the graveyard is a small quiet section that people could presumably usually sit in. It was full of nettles that looked fairly young.

I gathered as many as I could. I had a lovely chat to a nice man called Ron (aged 79) from 6metres away, who walked on the path the other side of the ditch and was curious about what I was doing.

After walking through further fields and naughtily picking a handful of Stitchwort flowers (they were abundant), CBC called me and asked if could get some sultanas for making Hot cross buns so I headed back via Londis. This time there were all men in there (at various times, not all at once)- they seemed to have no clue about maintaining distance, waiting politely or warning you when they wanted to go somewhere. I had to beat a hasty retreat into a shelf a couple of times and I ended up stuck less than a metre away from two men as I finished at the till and a man was standing at the entrance whilst his child got something from the toy dispenser and the man behind me pushed his way to the till.  Finally dispenser man and child moved and 2 more men barged their way into the shop meaning I still couldn't get away from man at the till! Stupid men!

At home, I thought I should test whether the nettles tasted ok.  I washed a few in a colander (using tongs to move them) and then put some in a frying pan with some oil, pepper and salt and fried them.  They went just like Spinach and tasted very nice.  CBC swears something stung him but heat removes the sting and I ate most of them and they were fine.

I watched this Youtube video the night before about foraging nettles and making soup and it was very helpful. Also, it was the simplest soup recipe- only needing stock, butter, potatoes, onions and of course nettles!

CBC was MOST skeptical but even he admitted that the soup was delicious.  Next time, I'd put more nettles in as mine wasn't as dark green as his one.

There was enough for 4 portions in total and today, I cooked the last lot of nettles that I hadn't used already and fried them till they were crispy and served them on top. When crispy, they tasted very similar to Nori which is a seaweed.

I'm very excited to make this soup again whilst there are some younger nettles around.

Apparently, Nettles are full of Vitamin A, K and C as well as some B vitamins.  They also have Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, phosphorus and Sodium and some fats and they even have protein in them which is great for a vegetarian diet!

And they are free!

 Vitamins: Vitamins A, C and K, as well as several B vitamins. Minerals: Calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and sodium. Fats: Linoleic acid, linolenic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid and oleic acid

Here's a whole load of articles and recipes I read and then I found some other great foraging videos about what is around!

Very exciting!

https://www.thespruceeats.com/sauteed-stinging-nettles-2217561

https://www.countryfile.com/how-to/food-recipes/nettle-guide-where-to-find-how-to-pick-nettles-safely-and-recipe-ideas/
https://honest-food.net/nettle-pesto/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/risottoofnettlesandw_13724

So...over to you.  Have you ever tried Nettles? What have you foraged for?

xx

A delicious meal at the Square and Compasses, Terling

On Saturday, my husband decided we should go out for a meal to try something new.  He looked up online and found a gastropub called The Square and Compasses which he had seen on one of his epic cycling journeys in a village called Turling,
Here's the blurb from their website about it.

The Square and Compasses is a traditional country pub set in the picturesque countryside of rural Essex. Believed to date from about 1652 and originally two farmers cottages, the building retains a wealth of original features with exposed beams throughout.

 This 17^th century freehouse has been sympathetically refurbished both internally and externally and offers a warm and relaxing atmosphere, delicious food, real ales and fine wines.

Inside, the cosy atmosphere and various styles of eclectic furniture and antiques ensures your comfort in which to enjoy a drink or two and maybe something to eat, in the company of family and friends. Whilst outside, there is a small garden with seating where you can enjoy the warm summer sun and the scenic views over the Essex Way.

We decided to try it out especially as CBC found it listed in the good food guide. It's a fair old drive from where we live in Essex but was it worth the effort?

While we were waiting we decided to order a plate of olives and anchovies- these are priced at around £3.50 each and were a generous portion. The anchovies were succulent and delicious bathed in fresh lemon and the olives were plump and juicy.

Next, our starters arrived. Considering everything is cooked from scratch, things arrived very swiftly.
CBC ordered the crab cake which cost around £6.95ish.  It was an extremely generous portion and he said that the coriander and lime mayonnaise with it was delicious as was the salad and the fishcake itself.

I ordered the pigeon breast with a courgette and chorizo croquette, sweet potato mash and parsnip crisps (plus sauces). This was around £6.50.  This was an absolute gem of a dish.  The duck was juicy and easy to cut, tender and delicious.  The courgette and chorizo croquette was really yummy.  The mash was lovely but for me the highlight was the amazing parsnip crisps. I don't really like parsnips- I just tolerate them whenever I am served them but these were sublime!  All the flavours together were an excellent combination.

Mains arrived soon after.   The restaurant always has a fish of the day (well, in fact two!) as well as a pie of the day and many other specials.   CBC ordered the Skate (£16.95ish) which was served with capers and vegetables which he declared to be extremely filling and tasty. Perhaps the potatoes and carrots could have been served smaller - he felt they were rather too enormous but otherwise a resounding yes!

I ordered the sea bass fillet served on a bed of spiced rice and bok choi, with an onion bhaji on top.
The best part of this meal was the sea bass filet. Not a bone in sight- tender, it broke away with my fork, the skin on top was crispy.  The bok choi was tasty and generally the rice was pleasant although it had one spice in it that I was not so keen on. For me, the onion bhaji was the part I didn't enjoy. A disclaimer here: I do not like onion bhajis and I will never order them in a restaurant or pick one from a buffet table.  This was the nicest onion bhaji I have tasted- but there is something about the spices chosen that I really dislike about them and this one, I ate, though I didn't love it.  Generally though, it was well balanced and well-thought out meal with a sufficient and one would also say generous portion.

When it reached dessert time, I was not overly enamoured by the choices. I am, it is to be said, a complete fusspot when it comes to dessert. 9 times out of 10, I will not choose one and I'd rather fill up on savoury.
Thus, CBC chose the Sticky toffee pudding with ice-cream which I can report he thoroughly enjoyed and demolished. This cost £4.50

I chose to have one scoop of toffee fudge ice-cream which was just right for me.  It was the right type of creamy deliciousness.

The meal itself was fabulous. I could not fault the service either.  

I failed to take any pictures of the setting but it is a wonderfully historic and cosy pub. Our table was in a little corner by the bar where we, if it were winter, a roaring fire would have been lit.  I thought, for the quality of cooking and the service received, that the meal was incredibly good value and we will definitely return to the Square and Compasses. I am definitely not the largest fan of general pub food (I am more of an Asian food buff) but this was a whole different ball game.

This is unlikely to yield any affirmative comments, but I will ask it anyway? Have you visited this great pub or indeed the village of Terling and what do you think of our choices?

xx

ICs, lovely restaurant, delicious food, an insight into my food-psychy, food wars and a partridge in a pear tree...

Hello! What a lovely day it has been! For the past 2 days, I have shivered on my way to school, dressed in summer clothes, yet it has turned out well every time! I shall continue- perhaps you have me to thank for lovely East Anglian weather.

Firstly, thankyou for recent loveliness regarding my cards. It is really encouraging to receive such positive feedback, but don't hold back on the constructive criticism too!

Secondly, thank you for well wishes for WOMOTM. He's doing fine (he commented on the post where I mentioned his heart attack to update you all) and is happily ensconced in his recovery programme, involving walking lots of miles each day. He's going to climb a mountain in the lakes soon!

Thirdly, I'd like to invite you to visit Pink-haired Princess at The shoe girl diaries who is celebrating Irregular choice month. She is only wearing ICs for the month and every Friday she is featuring other people's ICs. I sent her my pics of my first pair, bought last week, which she posted. She has the most amazing shoe collection. You can also see Dino Princess Char's amazing shoes!

I'm so happy with these new shoes. I think ICs are really funky but many are just too high (and too expensive) for me to justify so I was really pleased to find these in Schuh in my size. I love the fact they are odd shoes. I was the girl who used to put my shoes on the wrong feet, jumper inside-out and back-to-front, skirt inside out as a child, so these make me think of that!
They are true to size- a UK size 8 really is that, comfy and fun. I walked around in them happily.

It seemed a perfect opportunity to wear them on Saturday night to go to a friend's 30th at The Larder in Clerkenwell.

The food was pretty cool. I have to confess something. I have a hearty appetite for a girl and I really like large portions. If I go to a restaurant and get a small portion, I will sulk. You may not know it if you are with me, but I guarantee I am scowling on the inside (only in restaurants. Don't mind at home or at anyone else's). CBC has cottoned onto this and now teases me about food envy. I will look at your dinner and sulk if yours is bigger than mine. It sounds awful, but I can't seem to stop myself, I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but I like food! Anyway, this translates into painstaking decision-making in a restaurant. It takes me a while and I will change my mind last minute. I drive CBC insane with this. Anyway, it has become a bit of a game/battle now seeing whose decision between him and I, results in the best dish- in terms of quantity and niceness we have a score.

Dinner at The Larder
Act 1:

CBC chooses squid. Score. Delicious, lovely sauces, hearty portions
I choose Halloumi with Greek salad....

He wins, hence the expression. I might have a mountain of lettuce, but there's 2 small lumps of halloumi and 2 olives. It was tasty though.

1-o to CBC

Act 2:

Lamb with spiced aubergine and tsatziki versus...

Duck terrine with Asian greens...

Mwah ha ha! Portion size goes to me, lovely taste to me, appearance to me, lots of coriander= bonus points.

1-1

Special mention for delicious veggies we both had which the birthday boy thought it a good idea to order. Yum!

Act 3:

Victory to any party avoided in the dessert stakes by the arrival of the birthday boy's cake, made by fellow party-invitee. Death my chocolate cake. (had massive shards of chocolate in it which is not in the photo).

Final result: 1 All.

The Larder is a nice location- quirky decor (it seemed a bit like a 'choose your own decadent wallpaper wall)

Interesting spoon display and there were fun lampshades.

Portion size was generous. Waiters friendly and helpful. Location- not too far from Farringdon. Nice area.

We then went on to a Karaoke booth nearer to Smithfield market. I might be a musician but I really really don't know many pop-songs!!!! I sang along from the sofa to several numbers (as CBC sang S Club 7!!!!!) but took the microphone for 'Somebody to Love' (Queen) which I vaguely knew thanks to Anne Hathaway (anyone who can guess the link may earn themselves a little prize- let me know below!) although several others boomed with me so I avoided any exposure.

My ICs held up, no injuries or complaints. Simply perfect! I teamed them with a Pearl Lowe dress, ASOS heritage jacket, R.I Butterfly belt and vintage crystal necklace. We were late to the Karaoke because I wanted CBC to take a picture of my shoes!! OOPS!!

....and distracted people with them the next day!!!

It was a great escape from the trials of the beginning of term!

New shoes, food, singing and good company. What more could a girl want???

Dinner delight

I went to a lovely dinner party on Saturday with CBC. It was to be a black-tie do. For ages, I have been intending to do the same thing. It's always such a lovely treat to get dressed up in some pretty dress which isn't a long black one (which is my frequent concert-dress), to enjoy pleasant company and fine fare. I chose to wear my new-ish Pearl Lowe @Peacocks Tracey dress (see right, thank you sale!) with sparky sandals and a grey cardigan

After a slightly panicky, we-are-going-to-be-late (what's new!), where-on-earth-is-my bow-tie (still don't know!), I-cannot-get-this-dress-zip-done-up (that's because it's catching at the seam), oh-my-goodness-the-A1-is-closed-why-is-everyone-so-selfishly-out-in-their-car-please-go-away type preliminary, we arrived at the host's immaculate flat to be greeted by pleasant ladies and gentlemen in beautiful attire.

The conversation flowed from the intelligent and witty guests (some who I'd met before, although was a little shy about chatting to) and we were served with the following delightful dinner:

Pre-dinner: olives, bread sticks, cava.

Starters: Cream of sweet-corn soup with fresh bread.

Mains: Chicken wrapped in pancetta with 2 types of potatoes, root-vegetables roasted: sweet potato, pumpkin, parsnips etc.

Desert: Apple crumble with custard,cream or ice-cream

Cheese Board

Chocolates galore

Tea/coffee

It was a lovely evening, and although I am sometimes rather quiet, especially when surrounded by those I don't know who have a lot (of interesting things) to say, I like listening to others. It felt like a Come Dine with me experience and most pleasant.

Somehow, we managed to get home at around 2.35am due to a certain person spending a rather long time at his sibling's house writing a note to Australian-dwelling aunties. Was nice to see sibling and partner although I did spend nearly the whole time zonked out on the sofa! Midnight is after-all, pumpkin hour!!!