Design Notebook ...............

 Thonet Bentwood Chair

Designed in 1859 by German cabinetmaker Michael Thonet, the No. 14 chair (also known as the Vienna coffeehouse chair) emerged as the first example of bentwood furniture. Surviving models from the mid- to late 1800s feature hand-caned or laminated wood seats and are usually stamped with the country of origin. (By the 1870s, Thonet owned offices in almost 20 countries.) At auction, a No. 14 from the 1860s with a near-perfect seat can fetch about $1,000.

Picasso owned one, so did Brahms. And 150 years after Michael Thonet introduced the first mass-produced seat, and its design has remained virtually unchanged for 150 years. The chairs became staple in cafes around the world. They are extremely durable; if you knock them over they bounce rather than break as they are so flexible but elegant. 

Seasonal recipe for November

Raised game pies

By Gordon Ramsay

Makes 4

Water crust pastry is the traditional pastry for making raised pies and the essence of this pie.

250g mixture of game, such as loin of venison, partridge, pheasant or guinea fowl breasts

60g smoked bacon, chopped

200g sausage meat

2 eggs, beaten

1-2 tsp each freshly chopped parsley and sage

Grated zest of half a lemon

5 juniper berries, finely ground

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the water crust pastry

250g plain flour, plus extra for dusting

½ tsp fine sea salt

1 egg

50g unsalted butter

50g lard

85ml water

1 Begin by making the pastry. Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl and make a well in the middle. Crack the egg into the middle and sprinkle over some of the flour to cover. Put the butter, lard and water in a small pan over a gentle heat. Once the butter and lard have melted, increase the heat and bring to the boil.

2 Pour the boiling water and fat around the edge of the bowl and quickly stir in using a palette knife. Knead the dough lightly until smooth, then wrap in clingfilm. Rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

3 Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Trim the game meat of any fat or sinew, then cut into 1cm cubes. Mix with the bacon, sausage meat, one of the beaten eggs, herbs, lemon zest and crushed juniper berries, and season with salt and pepper. Divide into 4 portions and roll into balls.

4 Reserve one third of the pastry for making the pie lids, wrapped in clingfilm in the fridge. Roll the remaining pastry out on a lightly floured work surface to a 2-3mm thickness. Cut out 4 circles, 14cm in diameter, using a saucer as a template. Place a ball of stuffing in the middle of each pastry disc. Press the stuffing gently to flatten at the base slightly.

5 Roll the reserved pastry to the same thickness as before and cut out 4 lids, 7cm in diameter. Place a lid over the top of the stuffing. Wet the rim of the larger pastry disc, then mould it up and around the filling to meet the lid. Curl the edge of the lid up to meet the top inside edge of the pie case and press together to seal. Repeat with the others, then chill for about 30 minutes until the pastry feels firm.

6 Preheat the oven to 190C/Gas 5. Make a neat steam hole in the centre of each pie lid with a skewer. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the pies from the oven and reduce the temperature to 170C/Gas 3. Brush the pies evenly with the remaining beaten egg, then bake for a further 20-30 minutes until the pastry is cooked and the centre of the pie is piping hot. Allow the pies to cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature with piccalilli.

Seasonal food November

This month’s newcomers...

Brussels sprouts, cranberries, Jerusalem artichokes, parsnips, pheasant, swede

Still in season: Beetroot, butternut squash, carrots, celeriac, chestnuts, elderberries, kale, onions, potatoes, rabbit, red grouse, salsify, watercress, apples (Egremont Russet, Blenheim Orange, Orleans Reinette), pears (conference, Concorde, Winter Nellis), pumpkins, quince, goose, venison, walnuts, wild mushrooms (Horse, Oyster, Blewitts)

VEGETABLES

Beetroot, Butternut squash, Brussels sprouts ,Celeriac, Chestnuts Jerusalem artichokes Kale, Mushrooms ,Parsnips Pumpkins Swede, Watercress

FRUIT

Apples, Cranberries, Pears, Quince

MEAT

Goose ,Grouse, Hare, Pheasant, Venison, Wood Pigeon.

FISH AND SEAFOOD

Crab, Crayfish ,John Dory ,Oysters ,Salmon Sea trout

Seasonal recipe for October

Butternut squash and vanilla soup

By Gordon Ramsay

Serves 8

This is an incredibly rich, indulgent soup, but is also amazingly simple to make. Adding the seeds from a vanilla pod lift this soup completely, and the black specks look pretty, too.

1 large butternut squash, weighing about 1kg

200g butter

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 vanilla pod

300-400ml chicken stock

150ml double cream

1 Peel, deseed and dice the butternut squash. Melt the butter in a large saucepan, then add the squash. Season with salt and pepper, then sweat the squash for a few minutes until it starts to soften. Split the vanilla pod lengthways in half and scrape out the seeds. Add the split pod to the pan, reserve the seeds for later.

2 Pour in enough stock to just cover the squash and bring to the boil. Cover with a lid and cook until tender. Transfer the mixture to a blender and whiz until smooth (you may have to do this in batches). Pass the soup through a sieve, using the back of a ladle to push it through, into a clean pan.

3 Stir in the cream and add the reserved vanilla seeds. Check for seasoning and reheat, stirring regularly. Serve in warmed soup bowls.

Seasonal food for October

This month’s newcomers...

Butternut squash, celeriac, chestnuts, elderberries, figs, kale, oysters, partridge, pumpkin, quince, walnuts.

Still in season: Artichoke, aubergine, beetroot, broccoli, carrots, courgettes, fennel, garlic, lamb, potatoes, onions, pak choi, rabbit, radishes, red grouse, rocket, watercress , apples (Egremont Russet, Blenheim Orange, Orleans Reinette), blackberries, wild mushrooms (Ceps, Chanterelles, Oyster), pears (Beth, Williams, Merton Pride), peppers, sweetcorn, goose, venison

VEGETABLES

Artichoke ,Butternut squash ,Celeriac Chestnuts ,Courgettes , Fennel, Kale, Mushrooms, Pak choi, Peppers, Pumpkins ,Rocket, Rosemary ,Spinach ,Sweetcorn, Watercress.

FRUIT

Apples, Blackberries, Figs, Pears, Quince

MEAT

Grouse, Hare, Lamb, Venison

FISH AND SEAFOOD

Crab, Crayfish, John Dory, Oysters, Salmon, Sea trout

Design Notebook………….

Bestlight Desk Lamp.

Created in 1930 by Robert Best and made in Birmingham, the Bestlite (from around £300+) is very British and very fictional. The angle of the lamp is adjusted via the pivoting swan neck arm. It has a chrome height adjustable arm with an adjustable shade and base available in matt black, matt ivory or glossy white.

It’s not a pretty lamp but very clean in design and impressive, it’s well constructed and durable and is still a firm favourite in many homes. It’s a very straightforward design with no gimmicks and it comes in a variety of lamps and wall brackets in the same shape and they all work well. An early example of the Bauhaus movement it was featured in the 'Architects Journal'. This opened up the light's potential to the architectural community and huge success followed.

Legend has it one sat on Winston Churchill’s air raid shelter desk during the war. 

New Kitchen Journey

I have asked Andy Randall head of design at tsunami uk ltd what you should be looking for or how you should approach buying a new kitchen and his expert advice is, “people should trust what they think and want but be open to inspiration and advice from us. Easier said and done as people continuously form opinions and ideas, they should ask as many questions as they can, ask the same questions in different places, this gets rid of dodgy salesman answers that get given!”

When we embark on changing our kitchen so it not just suits our needs but also our lifestyle here is how the whole process works at tsunami uk ltd.

1.            Client comes in and talks a little and looks around showroom (we will tend not to go to deep here)

2.            Meeting for design brief booked in (very important from our side as Tsunami, if they are interested and serious they will come back for a proper meeting, we have found people we take a brief from when they just walk in, never, really never go ahead. Important to remember that for an hour of their time we a giving hours of our time in designing)

3.            Design brief (The most important bit! this is the opportunity for us to understand the client and for them to tell us as much as possible, the better the drief the better the design! )

4.            Designing (this will take 7-10 days for us to design, drawer, price)

5.            1st Presentation (We will present the design and concept we have come up with. This is done using hand drawn plans, hand drawn measured perspectives, and costings, at this stage the entire design is talked through, from basic concept to finishes. However nice the design/drawings this is really the first main discussion so changes almost always occur. This is good as this is the real refining of the design to suit the client)

6.            2nd Presentation (The design presented here should not be a shock, it should include the changes made at the last meeting and the costs really pinned down, because of this the client should know the design, the finishes, the final cost. A deposit will normally be asked for here to proceed.)

7.            Deposit received (we will now release drawings, samples and our project manager will come to site, until this point we will have been quite cagey, we do not release drawings as they are our strong point, we do not release samples as we work very very hard to secure rare and exclusive materials)

8.            Kitchen ordered (delivery will now take 12-14 weeks. During this time we would generally liaise with the client’s contractors who are doing the building work, ensuring that the site is going to be ready for the kitchen delivery)

9.            Kitchen Here (We are ready to fit to a ready prepared area, floors down, wall first painted, electrics and plumbing in place. It will take about 3 ish weeks to fit)

10.          Fitting (Normally the kitchen gets first fitted, units only. The worktops get template and there is a pause while they get made 10-14 days. The worktops get fitted. Second fix of the units is completed all appliances in, things finished off. The client now has a finished Kitchen)

Design Notebook………….

Gordon Ramsay by Royal Doulton
Gordon Ramsay White

Sometimes you just want the simplicity of white tableware and not have any distraction when you’ve created your dish or you don’t want it clashing with your dining room interior.

Gordon Ramsey has created a great white tableware range for Royal Doulton which is restaurant standard and has an embossed ring pattern round the edge to add some relief.

This range has a great selection of choices without being confusing and you’re overwhelmed.

The plates come in 4 sizes from the dinner plate of 30.5 cm at £18.00 down to 16.5 cm£13.00 for the side plate.

  

There is a great sized desert / cereal bowl at £15.00 and a rimmed soup bowl at £17.00.

The rest of the range comprises of a tea cup at £13.00 and saucer at £12.00 or if you’re more of a coffee fan an espresso cup at £8.00 and saucer at £6.00.

We loved the serving plate at £45

At Tsunami UK we thought this was a great well-made basic range which you could mix and match your existing china and not duplicate on your big dishes and platters.

Seasonal recipe for September

Saddle of lamb stuffed spinach

As we move towards the comfort food, this recipe uses spinach and lamb a winning combination.

Serves 6-8

1 saddle of lamb, about 2.4kg, boned out

1 garlic bulb

Sea salt and pepper

Splash of olive oil

Few sage sprigs

Knob of butter

Stuffing:

3-4 tbsp olive oil

250g mixed mushrooms (shiitake, oyster, button), cleaned

Knob of butter

250g young spinach, stalks removed

2-3 tbsp mascarpone

1 egg yolk

Freshly grated nutmeg

6-8 sage leaves

Pan jus:

1 tbsp sherry vinegar

2 glasses red wine

125ml light stock

1.Heat the oven to 200C/Gas 6. Open out the saddle of lamb and set aside the eye fillets. Halve the garlic bulb, season and leave for a few minutes to draw out the juices.

2 For the stuffing, heat a splash of olive oil in a non-stick pan and sauté the mushrooms until they are softened and browned, then drain in a colander. Heat a little more oil and a knob of butter in the pan, add the spinach, season lightly and cook until just wilted. Tip the mushrooms into a bowl, mix in the spinach, mascarpone and egg yolk, then season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.

3 Oil several sage leaves and place down the middle of the lamb. Rub the meat with the halved garlic bulb. Spoon the stuffing on top of the sage leaves. Cut the eye fillets horizontally (but not right through), open out and place over the stuffing. Fold one flap of the saddle over, then the other, wrapping firmly to make a neat roll. Secure with string at intervals and tuck the remaining sage leaves in at the ends.

4 Heat a splash of oil in a roasting pan; add the garlic bulb and a few sage sprigs and sauté briefly, then add the butter and allow to foam. Put the meat on top.

The closing days of summer ……

As we head towards autumn and being inside, it’s nice to find great out door spots to enjoy a drink or bite to eat where you can sit outside but enjoy a drink or bite to eat.

The Sanctum Soho Hotel is two Georgian Townhouses converted into an opulent hotel with amazing décor and a fabulous rooftop bar so you can enjoy the outside in the middle of the West End of London.

The hotel although just off Regent Street is hidden away at the back of Warwick Street like a hidden jewel.

So if you’re looking for a few drinks before hitting a night out or just want a relaxing drink after a day’s shopping this is one place to be and don’t be surprised if you bump into an off duty rock star in the amazing lift ……..

Seasonal Food for September

This month’s newcomers...

Apples (Egremont Russet, Blenheim orange, Orleans Reinette), blackberries, cabbages, chillies, damsons, elderberries, juniper berries, kale, mushrooms (ceps, chanterelles, oyster), pears (Beth, Williams, Merton Pride), peppers, pumpkins, sweetcorn , crayfish, red grouse, goose

Still in season: Artichoke, aubergine, basil, beetroot, broccoli, cabbages, carrots, courgettes, cucumber, crayfish, fennel, French beans, garlic, hare, lamb, new potatoes, onions, pak choi, rabbit, radishes, red grouse, rocket, runner beans, sorrel, watercress ; apricots, blueberries, greengages, loganberries, peaches, plums, late raspberries, redcurrants

VEGETABLES

Artichoke, Aubergine, Beetroot, Courgettes, Cucumber, Fennel ,Kale, Mint ,Mushrooms ,Pak choi

Parsley, Peppers Pumpkins, Rocket, Rosemary, Samphire ,Sorrel ,Spinach Sweetcorn ,Watercress.

FRUIT

Apples, Apricots, Blackberries, Cherries, Greengages, Peaches, Pears, Plums, Raspberries.

MEAT

Grouse

Hare

Lamb

FISH AND SEAFOOD

Crab, Crayfish, John Dory, Shallow Salmon, Sea trout

A fishy on a dishy …….

At Tsunami UK we adore these plates by Valerie le Roux, they are all individual and quite quirky. They type you fall in love with on holiday but then spend ages trying to work out how to get them back home safely.

Valerie lives in Brittany in a tiny cottage overlooking the fishing port and draws her inspiration from their – you can buy directly from her website in Euro’s.

 www.valerieleroux.com

Brighten up a room.

Orla Kiely has made her mark on the world of design from her handbags to home furnishings and small touches with her now iconic prints.

At Tsunami UK we are love her sunflower cushions and have recently bought the three shades to brighten up a guest bedroom sofa.

They come in three shades apple, straw and raspberry in 100% cotton  they are 47cm by 47cm so big enough to make a statement but not so overpowering to dominate the room.

Lets have a change.......

It’s a Bank Holiday weekend and you’re in London and you feel like a change with a view – try the Vista at The Trafalgar Hotel over looking Trafalgar Square.

Billed as one of the best rooftop views in the world.

It takes in the whole of Trafalgar Square with all the beautiful architecture and the bustle of the tourists posing next to the imposing iconic lions. You can see the National Gallery at the back and to the south Whitehall. 

So kick back have a drink and some nibbles and soak in the view.

Opening Hours:

Monday - Saturday 12pm - 11pm

Sunday 12pm - 10pm

The Trafalgar

2 Spring Gardens

Trafalgar Square

London

SW1A 2TS

020 7870 2900

Design Notebook………….

Georg Jensen silver.

There is not one designer who you could say appeals to men and women and also covers the home. From his striking modern jewellery to his silver teapots and coffee jugs Georg Jensen covers everyone with his simplicity of style and elegance.

The business is now over a hundred years old was first founded in 1904 as a small workshop in Copenhagen, Denmark by Georg Jensen – a graduate of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts who had previously worked as a sculptor. The academic education of Jensen, however, had been only the natural continuation of his training as a goldsmith which began when he was fourteen. Before starting his own business he had also been an apprentice to one of the most prominent Danish silversmiths at the time. During his thirty years of work he set numerous trends in jewellery and silver making that have been widely accepted in Europe and the rest of the world and built the foundations of a constantly expanding prosperous business.

Georg Jensen was one of the biggest representatives of the Art Nouveau movement with his innovative jewellery and silverware designs.

 Jensen specialized in the production of silver flatware using the techniques he had learnt from his father and mastered as an apprentice. He adopted the organic curvilinear and gentle forms promoted by the Art Nouveau. The natural world was the major source of inspiration for models such as the blossom, cactus, dahlia, fuchsia, lily of the valley, rose, cypress and acanthus patterned silver cutlery. The designer and his colleagues were also inspired by the arts of ancient local and world cultures. Jensen and his co-workers, such as designer Johan Rohde, created distinctive and unique silver flatware sets and separate pieces having the Viking, Nordic, Old Danish, Persian, Mayan and even Elsinore patterns.

Jensen worked mainly with silver in the beginning of his jewellery making career,. In the spirit of the Art Nouveau movement Georg Jensen experimented with adding various precious and semi-precious stone as the accents to his jewellery designs. The semi-precious agate stones were amongst the most preferred in his workshops for their pastel and bold diverse colours ranging from turquoise to bright yellow. During the Art Deco era Georg Jensen became the leader in jewellery production by introducing geometrical designs and sharp straight lined decorative ornaments and patterns. The works became so influential that they were soon widely imitated throughout Europe. The Jensen women’s jewellery remained the most abundantly produced, but the silver accessories for men such as the tie bars also became popular for their new less curved and elaborate and more “manly” designs.

Throughout the 20th century the company started by Georg Jensen continued to expand. Throughout the years notable designers such as Henning Koppel as well as Nanna Ditzel, and Vivianna Torun Bülow-Hübe created some of the most memorable models and collections of the company.

Seasonal recipe for August

Greengage and almond tart
A fabulous summer seasonal desert which is perfect hot or cold.

Serves 4-6

Prep: 15 min

Cook: 25 min

50g butter

50g ground almonds

25g caster sugar

1 large egg

12/250g ripe greengages

195g/20cm butter pastry case

Knob of butter

2 tbsp flaked almonds

METHOD Heat the oven to 400F/200C/gas mark 6. Dice the butter into a food processor. Add the almonds, caster sugar and egg. Blitz into a thick paste. Spread the paste in the pastry case. Halve the plums round their middles, winkling out the stone. Plant, cut-side uppermost, in the frangipane with a little space between each one. Melt the butter in a frying pan and quickly toss the flaked almonds to coat evenly with butter. Scatter over the tart. Bake for 25 min, or until the frangipane is firm and swollen, the plums are weeping and the flaked almonds golden. If liked, dust with icing sugar before serving hot, warm or cold.

Seasonal Food for August

New in this month……..

Plums, greengages, sweetcorn, blackberries, early damsons, crayfish, red grouse, hare

Still in season: Artichoke, aubergine, basil, beetroot, broad beans, broccoli, carrots, courgettes, cucumber, fennel, French beans, garlic, lamb, new potatoes, onions, pak choi, peas, rabbit, radishes, rocket, runner beans, sorrel, spring onions, turnips, watercress ; apricots, blueberries, cherries (English), gooseberries, loganberries, peaches, raspberries, redcurrants

VEGETABLES

Artichoke Aubergine Beetroot Broad beans Courgettes Cucumber Elderflowers Fennel Jersey Royal new potatoes Mint Pak choi Parsley Peas Rocket Rosemary Samphire Sorrel Spinach sweetcorn Watercress

FRUIT

Apricots Rhubarb Blackberries Blueberries Cherries Gooseberries Raspberries Strawberries Greengages

MEAT

Grouse Hare Lamb

FISH AND SEAFOOD

Crab Crayfish Herring John Dory Mackerel Salmon Sardines Sea trout

Organic Box Schemes - London

There are now over approximately five hundred and fifty organic box delivery schemes in Britain. A weekly box of fresh fruit and vegetables is delivered direct to your door, your office or to a local collection point such as a health store or a school. Boxes contain a range of produce, which varies each week and according to season.

Some include meat, wine and whole foods and most offer organic produce. Prices vary but typical costs range from £15 to £20 per box. You can set up a standing order or pay a lump sum in advance and cancel deliveries during the holidays. You can also give instructions about good places to hide your box to make sure it’s still there when you get home.

Produce is sourced locally, keeping unnecessary packaging, storage and transportation to a minimum, and most is farmed organically – without the use of synthetic fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides – making the process kinder to the environment and, arguably, better for our health.

These schemes provide a fairer deal to farmers than supermarkets and plough money back into local economies. By shortening the supply chain, they also provide customers with greater confidence about where their food has come from and how it has been grown. So if you want to shop ethically but don’t have time to trek to a farmer’s market, this is a wonderfully convenient alternative.

We are this month covering London so the time poor can get the feel of being to Borough Market and picking up their organic fresh vegetables and fruit but without the hassle.

LONDON

Abel & Cole 
Delivering organic food and drink across southern England including organic fruit and vegetables, Abel & Cole offers organic meats, sustainably caught fish, dairy and freshly baked bread. It works with a network of more than 50 British producers to bring local, seasonal and organic food fresh from the grower. 
16 Waterside Way, Plough Lane, Wimbledon, London, SW19 (0845 262 6262)

Bumblebee 
This outfit makes deliveries from London, Oxford and Greater London of small, medium or large bags of organic fruit and vegetables priced from £8.95 to £19.95. Every bag contains potatoes, carrots, onions, salad and a seasonal selection of organic produce. Delivery is included in the price of the bag. 
30 Brecknock Road, London N7 (0207 607 1936)

Growing Communities

 Hackney, London is a social enterprise run by local people in Hackney, East London. It provides a weekly selection of seasonal organic produce sourced as locally as possible. It’s a collection-only scheme from five pick-up points across Hackney. (020–7502 7588)

Organic Delivery Company
Organic fresh fruits, juices, nuts, chocolate, and plenty more. Deliveries to the kitchen table or workplace. They also offer Fair Trade organic gift hampers, made to order. Organic Delivery pride themselves on the quality of their produce and their commitment to food miles. Winner of the 2007 Small Retailer Online Green Award.
Unit A59, New Covent Garden Market, London SW8 5EE (020 7739 8181)

Design Notebook………….

The aluminium Navy 1006 chair is an iconic classic; it was first designed in 1944 for American warships and is now produced by the American firm Emeco.

Emeco has now teamed up with Coca-Cola to produce the new 111 Navy chair, made from 111 recycled plastic Coke bottles.

The idea for the chair was thought up after Coca Cola approached The Museum of Modern Art for inspiration into a way they could utilise the waste plastic from their bottles. It was in 2006 that Coca Cola contacted chair manufacturer Emeco to recreate its iconic Navy Chair using RPET (Recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate) aka plastic bottles.

Each chair takes three minutes to make (three times longer than a traditional plastic chair) using Emeco’s advanced moulding technique, which gives the chair a distinctive, velvet finish that is scratch resistant. 

The robustness of this chair makes it suitable for use both indoors and outdoors. 

It is available in six colours: grass, persimmon, red, white, flint, charcoal.Costs £230, from the Conran Shop (0844-848 4000)

Comes with a 5 year warranty.

Seasonal recipe for July

Courgette and red pepper salad

The spirit and brilliant colours of the Mediterranean are caught in this salad. If you have a jar of preserved lemons to hand, add a spoonful, finely chopped, to the dressing.

Feeds 8. Takes 45 mins.

3 sweet red peppers

2tbsp olive oil

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1tbsp salted capers, rinsed

5 courgettes

2tbsp picked parsley leaves

2tbsp small black olives

2tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1tbsp lemon juice

Bake the red peppers at 180C/Gas mark 4 for 20 minutes, or until the skin blisters and starts to blacken. Remove and place in a covered bowl for ten minutes. Peel off the skin, cut in half and discard the core and seeds. Cut flesh into thin strips, and toss with half the olive oil and the sea salt, pepper and capers.

Heat the grill or barbecue. Slice the courgettes thinly lengthwise, brush with remaining olive oil and grill for five or six minutes, turning once. Arrange the courgettes casually on a large platter and strew with the roasted peppers, parsley and black olives.

Whisk the olive oil and lemon juice with sea salt and pepper, and drizzle over the lot.

Seasonal Food for July.

New this month………..

Artichoke, aubergine, courgettes, fennel, pak choi, apricots, blueberries, cherries (English), gooseberries, loganberries, peaches, raspberries, redcurrants

Still in season: beetroot, broad beans, broccoli, carrots, cucumber, french beans, garlic, lamb, new potatoes, onions, peas, rabbit, radishes, rocket, runner beans, sorrel, spring onions, turnips, watercress

VEGETABLES

Artichoke Aubergine Beetroot Broad beans Courgettes Cucumber Elderflowers

Fennel Jersey Royal new potatoes Mint Beetroot Pak choi  Parsley  Peas Rocket

Rosemary Sorrel Spinach Watercress 

FRUIT

Apricots Blueberries Cherries Gooseberries Peaches Raspberries Strawberries

MEAT

Lamb

FISH AND SEAFOOD

Crab Herring John Dory Mackerel Salmon Sardines Sea trout 

Kitchen herb garden.

Sometimes you’re thinking of a seasonal recipe and it calls for a herb and you think of the times you have bought this “fresh “ from the supermarket yet have never have enough or any to hand. Growing your own kitchen herb garden is quite easy.

So planning your herb garden window box you need to consider the following. If the kitchen is on the sunny side of the house include chives, oregano, lemon thyme and then have some rosemary as this will drape over the edge of the box.
If your kitchen is on the shady side of the house then consider making a salad herb window box with wild rocket, chervil, French parsley and red mustard.
It’s very easy to grow herbs in containers using soil based compost, very few herbs grow in peat and soil based compost retains the moisture which stops the containers from drying out. Just water in the morning, especially if the window box will be feeling the force of the sun during the day. You need to feed the container plants weekly from March until September , as this keeps the plants healthy and also helps them produce leaves after being cut.

Seasonal recipe for June

Rice with peas and pancetta

An easy dish using seasonal vegetables and can be adapted for the vegetarian by adding 1 tbsp of Marigold Swiss Vegetable Bouillon Powder to 1litre boiling water for a light veggie stock and swap the pancetta for a spoonful of pesto just before serving.

Serves 4

1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
2 leeks, finely sliced
150g risotto rice
1 litre hot chicken stock
200g fresh peas
2 courgettes, finely sliced
Sea salt and black pepper
4 slices of pancetta
2 tbsp parmesan, grated

Heat the oil and butter in a heavy pan and cook the leeks for 5 minutes. Add the rice, stirring to coat. Add the stock, stirring well. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the peas, courgettes, salt and pepper to the rice, then cook for a further 5 minutes until the rice is tender and lightly soupy. Fry the pancetta in a hot, lightly oiled pan until crisp, place on top, then scatter with parmesan.

Seasonal Food for June

New in this month………….

Strawberries, gooseberries, broad beans, peas (including sugar snaps), pea shoots, carrots, radishes, lettuce, elderflowers, mackerel

Still in season: Asparagus, rocket, European cherries, outdoor rhubarb, chives, parsley, mint, crab, scallops, sea trout, Spring lamb; rosemary; cockles; Spring onions; broccoli; wild garlic; spinach; Jersey royal new potatoes, Watercress

Bottom of Form

Top of Form

FRUIT

Strawberries, cherries gooseberries 
VEGETABLES

Asparagus  Broad beans  Mint  Elderflowers  Jersey Royal new potatoes  Parsley  Peas  Rhubarb (outdoor)  Rocket  Rosemary  Samphire  Sorrel  Spinach  Watercress  Wild garlic 

MEAT

Lamb
FISH AND SEAFOOD

Crab Herring John Dory Mackerel Salmon Sardines Sea trout  

A trip down memory lane

Back in time …….

Sometimes you’re stumped for something to buy the guy who has everything …….. You might just want to add a bit of nostalgia and whimsy to the gift.

Everyone over a certain age remembers their collection of Ladybird books with their classic covers and how they taught you to read and about the wider world.

The now iconic covers are being used for notebooks to mugs and we love these mugs in porcelain as they appeal to everyone and certainly bring back memories.

The mugs have “The story of Cricket “to “How it works The Motor Car”….. 

Available from John Lewis at £9.95

Top 10 UK farmers' markets

1. Cardiff Riverside Farmers' Market

Fitzhamon Embankment held every Sunday from 10 am to 2 pm Tel: 029 20190036

Found just by the Millennium Stadium, this market has more than 25 stalls selling baked goods, fish, meat, fruit, vegetables and even malt whisky. Try the chilli jam, Cardigan Bay honey, goat's sausages, wine from Sugarloaf vineyard and a number of award-winning cheeses.

2.Wirral Urban farmers’ market, New Ferry

New Ferry's Village Hall held every second Saturday from 9 am to 1 pm Tel: 015 16431393

An indoor market with 30 stalls which offers some of the North West's finest produce including fruits, vegetables, cheeses, chocolate and beer. Profits from the volunteer-run market are given to local community groups. It was voted the UK Farmers' Market of the Year at BBC Radio 4's Food and Farming Awards 2007.

3. Hexham farmers’ market, Northumberland

Hexham Auction Mart (Jan-April), The Market Place (May-August), held the second Saturday of the month Tel: 01434 270393

This market won the NFU award for Best Farmers' Market in England and Wales last year it’s found at the local cattle market. It has over 30 producers such as local oyster mushrooms, Northumberland hill lamb, hand-made chocolates and fudge, beef, poultry, eggs, cheeses, bread and gluten-free baked goods, soups, salads and veg, all of which are grown or reared within 50 miles.

4.Orton farmers' market, Cumbria

Held the second Saturday of the month Tel: 01524 781003

With more than 40 stalls of foods and crafts, Orton farmers' market sits in the heart of the countryside. This tiny village is in game country, so you’ll find pigeons, rabbits and game birds for the pot at Austen Davies’s stall – and something to warm your cockles at the renowned Weardale Soup Company. Bessy Beck's trout products, delicious homemade Country puddings and the Cumbrian Fair Trade Cooperative has more exotic goods. Most of the stallholders also crop up at Brough (third Saturdays) and Pooley Bridge (last Sundays until winter).

5.Haverfordwest farmers' market, Pembrokeshire

Riverside Quay, held on alternate Fridays Tel: 01437 776 168

This market, which is situated on a peninsula, has a stunning range of cheeses, real heather honey and the occassional live cookery demonstration. From 29 June to 7 July there is the Pembrokeshire Fish Week which features cooking demonstrations at the market; usually locally caught and reared fish. Free-range duck, guinea-fowl and geese, home-reared meats, organic, rare-breed Oxford and Sandy Black pork, crab and lobster sandwiches, continental salad leaves, bread and locally milled flour, bara brith (a traditional sweet tea bread) and Welsh cakes, Lanboidy farmhouse cheese and laver bread, ewe’s milk cheese, smoked game are just some of the delights.

6. Alnwick farmers' market, Northumberland
Market Place held on the last Friday of the month 9 am to 2 pm Tel: 07894 402766


The market is found near Alnwick's medieval market cross. It has hosted demonstrations from chefs, including Master Chef finalist David Hall, as well as an array of crafts including soaps and jewellery. Local specials include Hill Lamb, cheeses, cakes and pies, teas, preserves and pickles, mussels, fudge, soft fruits and plants.


7.St Giles farmers' market, Shipbourne, Kent
St. Giles Church, Stumble Hill every Thursday, between 9.00-11.00 Tel:01732-355325


This market is held both inside and outside an 11th-century church at the heart of the village. It has more than 20 stalls offer local fare, including breads, meat, vegetables, mushrooms, smoked fish, pickles, cheeses and fruit, sold direct from the producers.


8.Winchester farmers’ market, Hampshire
Middle Brook Street, second and last Sunday of the month Tel: 01962 845135


This has been around since May 1999 and has almost 100 stalls. There is a strict criteria as all produce must be grown, reared, baked or caught in Hampshire or within 10 miles of the border. Hampshire Fare is the county's excellent food and drink organisation and specialities include Alresford watercress, water buffalo, Dexter beef, and Manx Loughton sheep.


9.Stroud farmers' market, Gloucestershire
Cornhill Market Place, held on first and third Saturday of each month. Tel: 01453 758060


It hosts demonstrations at 11am by resident chef Robert Rees of the Country Elephant who makes meals using produce from the market. Specialities include Katie Lloyd's Shitake-mushroom growing kits, Annette Eaton's smoked garlic and the superb outdoor cafe run on a rota by different groups. Gloucestershire first farmers' market is a triple winner of the Cotswold Life Magazine “Best Farmers Market” award and the FARMA certified farmers' market of the year 2008.


10. Kings Norton farmers’ market, Birmingham
The Green in King Norton held the second Saturday of the month Tel: 07966 434177


The organisers are proud of the market's patent, established in 1616, though the market was re-established in 2005. Stalls sell vegetables, fruit, fresh meat, fish, garden plants and organic and fairtrade produce. Voted the West Midlands farmers' market of the Year 2008 by the National Farmers' Retail and Markets Association, it offers goods from more than 25 producers.