Leeds Castle Homes & Gardens Fair

Sorry for radio silence, I have been busy getting ready for the Homes & Gardens fair at Leeds Castle this weekend and have been making candles and planting up tureens etc in readiness. The weather looks great and there will be loads of stall holders and plant nurseries there as well as yours truly.

We also have another project on the go in the kitchen garden, making some raised beds with crates used to import oranges from Uruguay. I thought I was buying old orchard crates but never mind. Will post some pics over the weekend.

Belmont Park - Kitchen Garden

day was the morning after the night before and have survived the Garden Soc. supper last night. Despite the grotty weather I met up with some friends at Belmont House & Gardens near Faversham today for their spring fair. They have the most amazing walled kitchen garden which was completely renovated a few years ago and gives me lots of inspiration. The gardens have far reaching views across the Kent countryside and you can see nothing but trees and fields which is quite something. I'm very jealous of the greenhouses which are huge. I bet they don't have a bindweed infestation either.

Kitchen Garden

Greenhouse Staging

       

Trained Vine in the Greenhouse                    Apple: Lord Lambourne

Garden Society Supper - Anyone for Fish Pie

Its the village garden society supper tomorrow night and I've been spending the day cooking up a storm. Fish pie for 20 anyone? I have also made chocolate mousse for 15 which I have put marinated strawberries in (used Pimms if you must know). My fish pie receipe is quite famous (modest moi?) so here it is.

Fish Pie
I wont give you amounts. I've just made one for 20 people but add and subtract depending on the size of your dish and hungry mouths to feed.

2.5kgs mixed fish - I used sea trout, cod, smoke haddock (undyed) and prawns. poach in full fat milk seasoned with a bouquet garni and some dill stalks. Strain the milk keeping for the sauce. For the sauce I melted 4oz butter and added flour to make a roux then made a thick sauce with the poaching milk. season to taste, add chopped dill, cream fraiche (I used 1pt) and mix with the fish. Half fill an oven proof dish. I use one of those lovely large IKEA metal roasting tins with handles. Make the topping with mashed potatoes mixed with leeks sweated in yet more butter. finish with a grating of parmesan. Phew, mashing 5kgs of potatoes take quite some doing.

Chocolate Mousse
Whats not to like. I put some diced strawberries in the base of terracotta pots (collected from the yummy raspberry creme brulees in Tescos) and added pimms and a little sugar. The chocolate (Menier 70% cheapest on offer I could find) all 600 grammes was melted in the microwave and 12 egg yolks wisked in (thanks to the girls). I then whisked in 1 pint of double cream and folded in the beaten egg whites before pouring over the strawberries using a jam funnel for neatness. Topped off with a whole strawberry

Few days away

Sorry for the radio silence, grabbed a few days away in Malta visiting family. Amazing how soothing it is to spend the evening sitting on a terrace over looking the Grand Harbour, getting aquainted with the local wines. Stayed at the Westin Dragonara in St Julians and yes it was warm enough to sit by the pool with a pina colada.

We finally managed to visit the Hypogeum which is the only prehistoric underground temple in the world, and a UNESCO world heritage site similar in age to Stonehenge! Came home to find winter had returned although the garden is in full Spring mode, the orchard is in blossom, I just hope it warms up a little so the bees can take advantage of it.