scorchio!

Phew, what a scorcher! I love blue-skied summer and long days as much as the next rain bedraggled English person, but I am resolutely, unglamorously Anglo-Saxon. Which means fair skinned, freckled and unable to process heat over 24 degrees.

And for someone who can, in colder months, tuck away steak and kidney pud, followed by Sussex Pond pud (fact, not boast), I am ever amazed at how appetite recedes in the heat.

Thank goodness then for the Gent's latest crush on morning smoothies. Like the best barman, glasses go in the freezer to chill whilst he mixes. It is icy cold and tastes like a dessert, whilst getting some actual nutrients in for the day.

Salads, croissant and limonata, that lovely San Pellegrino invention, sustain me until the air cools sufficiently to grow an appetite again.

Quick supper for one

I have to eat something 'proper' in the evening, however late it is, but for me a sandwich just doesn't cut it.

Until today, when I was desperately hungry and short of time.  I found these slim little steaks, fried them for 30 seconds on either side, then pushed 'em into a toasted sesame bun with English mustard and some lettuce. Actually it was two buns wodged together, as they looked too petite by themselves.  Just look at that juicy, rare steak!

A demi-feast, prepared in 5 minutes flat, which was exactly what I needed.

over the rainbow (trout)

Awful photo, but the best, last-minute meal.

My knives need sharpening so I didn't fillet the fellow before cooking; instead I pushed fat lemon wedges and thyme sprigs into the trout's cavity, added a splash of oil, then sealed in a baggy foil parcel. 25 or 30 minutes in a hot oven (180 degrees) was plenty.

I was amazed at how fragrant the fish had become, for so very little effort. The juices created kept everything wonderfully moist, making this potentially rather forgiving to being a little over cooked.

Accompanying this beautiful fish was a salad of fennel and chicory, dressed in just lemon, a little oil, an absolute dash of vinegar and a tumble of capers. Odd, but I think I got away with it.

Left over boiled potatoes from Saturday were transformed into sautéed tatties, and the gent cracked open a particularly gooseberryish Sauvignon Blanc.

I also discovered the gent makes a mean sidecar cocktail. Hidden talents from both him and the fish counter, tonight.

spears for supps

Asparagus, shining with melted butter, dipped in egg yolk. Some flakes of salt complete the dish.

Sunday supper for one.

London luncheon: quick snap

The lunch was such fun to make, and it was wonderful to see my family!
Here is a snap of the rhubarb pavlova - added quickly, before I start the mammoth, post-party washing up. Full report to follow...

London luncheon: prep

Oh dear, the world is against me!
The Neal's Yard cheese shop in Covent Garden is closed for refurbishment; and having instructed everyone to meet at Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square, this area is now closed for the day! To top it off I couldn't find a lamb's shoulder or any cooking chorizo in the supermarket yesterday.

However the weather is smiling and the sunshine is so heart-cheering that I have decided to utilise it to the max. The Gentleman's Walking Bus will now take a detour. After collecting my ragamuffin family, he will conduct them to the Phoenix Garden where I will be waiting, in one of the many secret corners, with our first course of Oysters and hot chorizo sausages. Appropriately, given the Alice in Wonderland-esque gardens, I have asked my parents' to entertain us with a rendition of the 'Walrus and the Carpenter': I am certain the oysters in my bag will find a similar fate to those in the poem

Cooking for 9 in our tiny kitchen is a challenge, so I took a half day off work yesterday to shop, and prepare every last thing that could be done in advance. Potato salad; rhubarb and ginger to go on the pavlova; the meringue base; cheese plates ready; table laid... and of course putting every last piece of cutlery out. As you can see, there are no spare work surfaces to prep with!

On Saturday I was early to Borough Market. I bought lamb from the Ginger Pig (a last-minute panic on size made me buy a leg, rather than shoulder: I would always rather have too much), mini chorizo from Brindisa, and Colchester oysters from the oyster chap (I forget the name, but I got a bargain for buying a dozen!). The Monmouth coffee queue was uncharacteristically reasonable, so I had a quick cappuccino and crispy little something for breakfast.

Back at the flat I hastily threw together salads, prepped the lamb and put it in to cook, before packing the cold Oysters, hot chorizo and heading out into the sunshine.

London luncheon: menu

So the menu has been released, guests have confirmed and the Gentleman's Walking Bus is booked.

I will be at the Market as it opens tomorrow, in the hopes of securing meat and oysters!