I can’t believe it’s Friday already – where has this week
gone?
We have been rushing around like mad things getting Eastfield,
our holiday cottage in Corbridge, ready for letting. It actually went live tonight with Sykes Holiday
Cottages www.sykescottages.co.uk. The photographs were just done this afternoon
so it will be about a week before these are on the website. I know that we are ever so slightly biased,
but it is a really special cottage. I
have been spending hours getting things absolutely perfect as we have got our
Quality in Tourism inspection on Wednesday next week. At least with self catering, you know when
the inspector is coming as opposed to B & B when you get the “secret
shopper”.
Halter training has been a bit spasmodic this week – not what
we would really recommend! I’m sure that
I’ve said before that it’s better to do a little bit every day rather than once
every two or three days – but you know what they say – “do what I say, not as I do”!!!!! Actually, I think that our current group of
weanlings have lulled us into a false sense of security as they are so laid
back. I just put in our entry for the new
NWAG show in April at Carlisle this evening.- better late than never! I kept thinking that we had loads of time –
but then I suddenly realised that we only had a week left to get the entries
in.
If you are beginning to get the impression that things are
slightly frantic here, then you could be right!!
We’ve got our first lot of B and B guests of 2013 arriving
tomorrow night. We are also hosting a
dinner party tomorrow night which we are looking forward to immensely. We have been very remiss in our entertaining
of late and are looking forward to catching up with old friends. The menu is:
Twice Baked Spinach
and Gruyere soufflés
Salmon en Papillote with new potatoes and salad
Chocolate Mousse and Tarte Tatin.
Ok – I admit that I’m a bit of a Francophile, especially
where food is concerned, but then I did spend a year in Grenoble working as an
an assistante anglaise as part of my French degree course. There is great pleasure to be had in cooking
and sharing food with friends and family.
So what are you all cooking this weekend?
Hi Melanie, lovely news about Eastfield. Good luck with the inspection but I dont think you need to worry! Out for dinner tonight but tomorrow Hans is cooking.....Chicken breasts wrapped in parmaham and a cream cheese and garlic/herb stuffing...mixed salad greens, Old Amsterdam Parsnip Bake (will send you recipe if you like?)and plain and simple sorbet ice for dessert........Bon Apetitet avoir un bon week-end! Anja X
ReplyDeleteHi Anja,
DeleteGood to hear that Hans is still cooking! Perhaps we might sample some of his fare later this year!! Please, please can I have the Parsnip Bake recipe. We love parsnips - can't believe that they are just used as cattle fodder in some countries - France included I think. I like to inlcude one in a pan of leek and potato soup - just adds a bit of sweetness. x
Ingredients:
Delete• 6 large parsnips, scrubbed and thinly sliced into rings
• 2/3 cup grated Old Amsterdam cheese (80 g)
• 4 tbsp creme fraiche
• Salt & pepper
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 tbsp butter
Preparation:
Preheat the grill to 356 degrees F (180 degrees C). Microwave the parsnips with 2 tbsp of water in a covered microwave safe dish for five minutes on high, or until tender. Drain and pat dry. Layer half the parsnips in a small baking dish, slightly overlapping them like roof tiles. Cover with half the cheese and creme fraiche, and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Layer the remaining parsnips, and cover with the rest of the creme fraiche and cheese. Season again with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Dot butter over the top and place under the grill until browned and bubbling.
TIPS:
Old Amsterdam is an aged Gouda that is hard and crumbly of texture, but soft on the palate. It is pretty widely available abroad now, but if you can not get your hands on it, simply use your favorite mature cheese.
Your menu sounds great - please can I have the recipe for the twice-baked spinach and gruyere souffles? I always like things that I can prepare in advance...
ReplyDeleteLou x
Dinner menu worked out so well that I ate too much! Will let you have the souffle recipe when I get a bit more time. It is so handy being able to cook them in advance and then they just need 15 minutes in the oven before serving. It can be a bit scary though as they shrink so rapidly after the first baking that you think they are going to be a complete disaster but then they puff up again when you bake for the second time. Magical really - you just have to hold your nerve.
Delete