BRINGING THE OUTSIDE IN....

Photos: Sophia Home

Good morning!

I hope this sunny Thursday finds you all well?

A quick post today, as I am running around doing various errands, working through a long list! 

I just wanted to share with you some pictures of the kitchen and dining-room, where I have recently enjoyed bringing the outside in......

We are only a twenty minute drive from the beautiful medieval town of Rye, close to the coast.

Each week they hold a large market.  Ignoring the inevitable 'tack' I usually come away with a basket full to the brim with fruit and vegetables, and flowers and trays of plants....all at wonderful knock down prices!  The other week I came away with a huge tray of white Geraniums to plant up outside in planters on our deck, but had so many that I couldn't resist bringing some inside to enjoy.

Photos: Sophia Home

The same with the beautiful French Lavender plants I bought at a recent plant sale.....one on the floor of the dining-room, and one on my kitchen island.....now being enjoyed inside for a little while, before they show signs of wanting to be planted in the garden.

Two of my favourite summer plants.....to enjoy inside and out......

All photos: Sophia Home

Wishing you a happy and 'fragrant' Thursday!

Sophia xx

HAPPY MONDAY......

and Elderflower Cordial!

Good morning!
I do hope you have all had a happy weekend?
Ours went super fast (don't they always?) and I can't believe that it is Monday already?
Saturday held a big family party in a nearby Italian restaurant, a special birthday celebration for a member of our family......delicious food and all generations together is always a fun and happy combination!  Yesterday was busily spent working in the garden, and then an impromptu arrival of children down from London for supper.....it's amazing how far one roast chicken can go when it needs to!  Plenty of lovely vegetables, including the first Chard of the season from the kitchen garden which was a real treat.  

With our hedgerows bursting with white fluffy clouds of Elderflower over the last few days......I decided to make a large batch of Elderflower cordial.  The arrival of this delicate foraged flower always truly announces the arrival of summer for me.....quite late this year, as I have usually made a large batch by the end of May.  This year, I also plan to make a Rhubarb and 
Elderflower jam, to use up my glut of rhubarb in the garden.....and I recently found recipes for Elderflower syrup cake and an Elderflower panacotta, both of which I am looking forward to making over the next week.

Elderflower cordial really is very simple to make, and is so refreshing with still or sparkling water and slices of lemon or sprigs of mint and plenty of ice.  I tend to fill large plastic water bottles and store in the freezer, to defrost one at a time and decant in to smaller clip top bottles for the fridge as and when we need them.

For any of you who have not had a go at making this delicious cordial, here is the recipe which I have taken from 'Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook', a particularly lovely version of cordial with its addition of oranges, limes and lemons in the mix which is not too sweet.

Elderflower cordial:

(makes 2 x 750ml bottles)

1.35kg granulated sugar

Flowers from 15-20 elderflower heads

2 oranges, thinly sliced

2 lemons, thinly sliced

2 limes, thinly sliced

30g tartaric (or citric) acid

Put 1.5 litres water and the sugar in a saucepan, and dissolve the sugar completely before bringing to the boil.  Add the flowers and return the water to the boil.  Remove from the heat immediately.

Thinly slice the fruit into a large bowl or jug.  Add the tartaric acid and pour over the hot syrup and flowers.  Stir well and cover loosely.  Leave for 24 hours.

Strain into warm sterilised bottles and seal.  This keeps for a couple of months in the fridge.  If you make plenty, pour some into plastic bottles and freeze.  It will last for years.

                                      

So easy!

Delicious and refreshing........and for a special treat, try mixing with a dash of vodka and topped up with fizz for a fabulous summer cocktail!

All pictures via: Pinterest

Wishing you a very happy start to the week.....

Sophia xx

NEW ADDITIONS TO THE FAMILY.....

A few weeks ago, this handsome pair decided to take up residence in our garden.  They seemed to particularly like being on the front drive.....choosing our formal ornamental pond right up by the house, over the larger natural pond out in the paddock, for their daily swims.

All photos: Sophia Home

Romance blossomed.......and before we knew it, we had an expectant mother duck sitting devotedly on a clutch of eggs.......right up against the wall of the house, a couple of metres from the front door. She did not seem to mind us checking up on her from time to time, or the constant comings and goings to and from the house....and our dogs, having been brought up with chickens in the past, did not think to bother her either.  She obviously felt safe.........and kept a constant vigil for four long weeks.  Her rather elusive drake made the occasional appearance to check up on progress.....but it was she who was constantly there, day in and day out, sometimes peering up at the windows of the house, but mainly staring straight ahead as if in a maternal trance.

Then last Saturday morning, I heard a commotion outside the window.....looked down, and all I saw were eggshells and the remains of the downy nest she had so devotedly sat upon for the

past four weeks.

And then I saw them......yes, she had done it!

Ten adorable little balls of fluff and one very proud Mum!  She was madly quacking up at the window at me.....not out of fear, but genuinely proud of her achievement and wanted the world to see her new brood!

Within minutes she had ordered instructions to her new minutes old family.....and they were off.  The formal pond was obviously too tricky to navigate getting in and out of due to its steep sides.....so it was off to the larger natural pond on the other side of the drive.

Cautiously they made their way......stopping, crouching down every few 

metres.....checking for predators.

The brick edge to the driveway was a little challenging to our new arrivals at first.....

And then they made it....and were off swimming for the first time like naturals......

Don't you just love a happy ending?

All photos: Sophia Home

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

Sophia xx

PEONIES AND ROSES.....

The higher temperatures of the last few days here in England, have happily encouraged the Peonies and Roses in the garden to bloom.  Bursts of colour....in shades of pink....from soft and pale through to deep fuschia.  Their delicate scent filling the air.......making working in the garden even more of a pleasure.

June has to be one of my favourite months in the garden.  Everything is so fresh and new and full of optimism .....the herb and vegetable gardens are in full swing, shrubs, plants and trees are bursting.....but it is the Peonies and Roses that bring me the most pleasure.

To appreciate them to the maximum, I love to cut them for arranging. Their beautiful scent filling the air, and enjoyed 

inside the house as well....

All photos: Sophia Home

Rose 'Sweet Hermione'.....

Peonies 'Bowl of Beauty' and 'Edulis Superba'.....

Do you have a particular favourite variety of Peony or Rose?  I would love to hear!

All photos: Sophia Home

Wishing you a very happy Thursday.....

Sophia xx

ASPARAGUS....

....enjoying the last week.

This is sadly the last week for English Asparagus.

No imports throughout the year can substitute this delicious, fresh little spear when it is grown, harvested and eaten within a day or two.

We are lucky to have an asparagus farm a couple of miles down the lane from us here in Kent, and we locals wait with eager anticipation each year for their sign to go up on the side of the road, announcing that the first pickings are ready and that their little pop up farm shop is officially open!

Frogshole Farm......

There are so many ways to cook this gorgeous early summer delicacy, but my favourite is to simply roast it in the oven with some olive oil and salt and pepper, and serve with shavings of parmesan.  

Today, I shall be trying something a little more special to mark the end of the asparagus season, with a new recipe from my favourite cook book of the moment 'The British Larder' written by Madelene Bonvini-Hamel.....this beautifully written book takes the reader through each season and has one fabulous, inspiring 

recipe after another. 

Photos: Sophia Home

Today's recipe is 'Chicken Escalopes with New Season English Asparagus Salad'

Serves 2 as a main course:

2 organic or free-range skinless, boneless chicken breasts

50g coarse fresh breadcrumbs

1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano

finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

30g Hawkstone cheese (Suffolk hard cows' milk cheese), grated

or finely grated parmesan cheese

a pinch of cayenne pepper

a bunch of asparagus (200-250g) trimmed

125g fresh (or frozen) broad beans (shelled weight)

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic

2-3 tablespoons rapeseed oil

6 cooked cold new potatoes, halved

sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

a bunch of watercress to garnish

Butterfly the chicken breasts.  To do this place each breast flat on a chopping board.  Place one hand on top of a breast to hold it in place and then with the other hand, carefully insert a sharp knife through the thickest part of the breast and slice it horizontally in half without cutting all the way through. 

Place each butterflied chicken breast in a small polythene food bag and use a mallet or rolling pin to flatten the breast slightly.

For the breadcrumb mixture, combine the breadcrumbs, parsley, oregano, lemon zest, grated cheese and cayenne pepper in a bowl and season lightly with salt and pepper and set aside.

Blanch the asparagus and broad beans together in a large pan of boiling salted water for 1 - 2 minutes, drain and refresh in iced water and then drain again. Pop the tender, bright green broad beans out of their outer grey skins by squeezing gently.  Discard the outer grey skins and reserve the inner bright 

green beans and set aside.  

Heat 1 tablespoon rapeseed oil in a non-stick frying pan and pan fry the coated chicken escalopes over a medium heat for 12-15 minutes or until thoroughly cooked and golden brown all over, turning them regularly.  Drain on kitchen paper.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon rapeseed oil in a separate non-stick frying pan and sauté  the new potatoes for 7-8 minutes or until golden.  Add the blanched asparagus and reserved peeled broad beans and cook for a further 1 minute, then remove from the heat.

Serve the hot chicken escalopes with the warm potato salad and garnish with the watercress.

Bon appétit!

Do you have a favourite or interesting way of using Asparagus?  I would love to hear!

Sophia x