Nick Weston arrived on Thursday night with boxes of foraged food and his bramble beer.
Hazel sticks
Gas lamps
Nick stayed the night and built an amazing bonfire
Emily O’Hare, posh sommelier at The River Café, ended up having to ‘shower’ the burdock leaves, not what she’s used to.
While I was making the flat breads with nettle pesto on the fire, Radio Hayes called up and interviewed me. Talk about multi-tasking!
Pine needle vinegar made by Nick
Chicken in the woods mushrooms, foraged by Nick
I fried them up with butter, white wine and garlic. They tasted like Quorn.
Nick gave talks to the diners in the garden.
I made duck egg frittata with chicken of the woods, hop shoots and wood sorrel.
Isabelle Legeron, aka That crazy French Woman, gave diners tastes of stunning Natural Wines. What a treat! I will get the list of wines and post it up later.
Nick made some fantastic home made cheese with wild garlic. Delicious!
Elderflower cordial (home-made by Brie who sells it at my farmer’s market) cheesecake which I made: a total hit. The Japanese Knotweed crumble didn’t work out unfortunately, too woody, so I didn’t serve it. I needed younger shoots.
Nick got the diners involved in making sweet damper bread rolled around the hazel sticks.
At one point the guests looked like the tribal gathering on Survivor!, the show where Nick first came to prominence. Or like something out of Lord of the Rings, sitting around the fire with sticks and blankets. One guest said “it’s like being in the cubs again”.
One guest was so relaxed, he fell asleep in the shed on Nick’s bed.
A fantastic magical evening. I’ll definitely do more events in the garden.
Menu:
Flatbreads with nettle pesto
~
~
Beet soup with freshly dug up horseradish quenelles
Duck egg frittata with chicken of the woods, wood sorrel and hop shoots
Duck egg frittata with chicken of the woods, wood sorrel and hop shoots
~
Baked carp wrapped in burdock with wild garlic
~
~
Home-made cheese with wild garlic
~
~
Elderflower cheesecake
~
~
Spotted damper bread
Bramble beers
Tisane of lemon thyme
Natural Wines
We started with a red, then moved onto white, then sparkling then orange. That crazy French woman!
We started with a red, then moved onto white, then sparkling then orange. That crazy French woman!
– Macea pinot noir– Analepse– Riffault Akmenine– Dinavola Bianco– Petillant Naturel Veilloux– Chateau Fouguet
Nick, Isabelle and me. Looking devillish beside the fire.
I wish I could have been there! Looks amazing! Especially the cheesecake -recipe please! And the cheese! xxx