betterlatethannever

The Polo Shed

In a quiet place past a lake, through a wood and onto a secluded field with wide open skies sits a lovely open air pavilion, the Polo Shed. We have had many happy family times here. Languid lunches, starlit dinners, dancing parties and a sweet wedding too.  There's no electricity to the shed and the best evenings have been candle-lit with simple fire cooked food.

Now we'd like to share the joy and offer the site for smaller more intimate celebrations.  Small is beautiful and recommend 80 people as the optimum number of guests.  We are happy for you to add a marquee and bring in a generator for caterers and loos. Our calendar is limited to July and August knowing these are the best months to celebrate in this special place. www.thepoloshed.com

Old friends, new shed - an autumnal workshop learning to weave a willow bird

lemon posset

An incredibly easy lemony pudding

lemon posset

serves 4 to 6

450ml double or whipping cream

125 g caster sugar

60ml lemon juice and the zest of the lemons 

 

Combine the cream and caster sugar in a saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring.

Reduce the heat and bubble for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.

Remove from the heat and add the zest and lemon juice, stirring well.

Taste, and add a little more lemon juice if you like. 

Leave it to cool for 10 minutes, then stir once more and pour into ramekins or cups.

Cool the posset and chill in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving.

zest

squeeze

whisk as cooking

add juice and lemon zest to cream

serves 4 or more

get your skates on

Skate wings were introduced to me by our friend Bill and are now a favourite seasonal treat. I poach them in a court -bouillon then eat with a delicious nutty, buttery sauce. I don't serve with anything else, just lots of parsely in the black butter.  Scrape the flesh off the cartilage with a fork.  Delicious.

skate with black butter 

nigel slater

2 skate wings

1 carrot, thinly sliced 

1 onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings

2 bay leaves 

black peppercorns 

120g butter 

2 tabs capers 

2 tabs red wine vinegar 

small bunch of parsley, roughly chopped

Place the skate in a large, shallow pan and just cover with water. Add the carrot and onion rings, bay leaves and about six whole black peppercorns.

Bring the liquid to the boil and immediately turn down to a simmer, leaving the skate bubbling very gently until it is opaque and tender. Depending on the thickness of your fish it will take 10-15 minutes to become tender. Lift the fish from its liquor and place it on two warm plates. 

Melt the butter in another shallow pan. When it starts to foam watch it carefully. As soon as it turns a pale nut brown (it will go black in seconds) pour in the vinegar, add the parsley and the capers and immediately pour over the drained fish.

 

a sunny cake for a sunny day

sephardic orange cake

2 oranges

6 eggs

175 g caster sugar

225 g ground almonds

1 tsp baking powder

Preheat the oven to 190 C and line a 20cm round cake tin with deep sides with paper.

Place the oranges in a saucepan of water and bring to the boil, simmer for 1 hour, drain and process the oranges, skin and all, until pureed in food processor.

Whisk the egg and sugar until meringue like, then fold the remaining ingredients and mix well.  Pour into prepared cake tin and cook for 40 to 60 minutes.

 

I don't mind if it rains

I don't mind if it rains.  Everything is so lush and full of potential.

 

 

just what the doctor ordered

This time of the year is often fraught.  Spring shows her fresh face when a ferociously cold wind arrives blasting juvenile shoots and fragile blooms. A  predicted frosty morning will certainly wreck havoc with her tender buds. At this time of year I rely on the jewell-like variety of citrus fruit available. Beautiful blood oranges, ruby red grapefruit, the sweetest manderins and tangerines loosely bundled in oily scented peel. I surrender all my principles to keeping food miles low and indulge.  Just what the doctor ordered.

Stubble Walk

After the harvest there is a tiny window of time when you can walk across the stubble getting a whole new perspective on things. 

A Fortune Worth of Seed

This is this year's spectacular crop of white foxgloves. I have harvested the seed and hope they will stay true for next year's crop. Knowing how much a small packet of white foxglove seed costs, I have a fortune's worth. 

 

Salad Daze

The best, best thing about this time of the year is the salad - out of the garden.  And I have a new trick, admittedly not mine.  Buy a punnet of living salad from the super market, don't pay more than £1 and, if you are lucky, you might find one for less in the throw out bit, it doesn't matter if it looks a bit tired. Tip the salad  out of the punnet  and separate all the little lettuces. Plant them about 6 inches apart, water well and  in a few weeks or less in this weather, you will have a wonderful crop.  At the moment I'm just picking leaves, but as they start to go to seed I'll pick the whole lettuce.  It's the easiest and cheapest way to grow salad.