The sun always shines on Loch Leven

This is a special place. Our favourite place for lunch. In the world.

You should go there. Soon.

A bowl that is too beautiful for nuts

The latest in our treasured collection from this painfully talented and generous lady. If you are looking for unusual furniture, fabulous gifts or something unique to celebrate a wedding, you know where to go.

The Gourmet

I missed my flight home from London last week and needed a quick distraction from the frustration and the airport spending. I bought and read this:

I was buried in it, even in the security queue. It even caught the lady next to me's attention. "That must be a good read, what is it?" She asked. I can, and did, definitely recommend.

I love oysters, so this description was especially pleasing,

Four fine de claire oyster, cold and salty, with neither lemon nor seasoning. Swallowed slowly, blessed for the imperious chill with which they cloaked my palate... Four oysters, unembellished. A complete and uncompromising prelude, royal in unpolished modesty. A glass of dry white wine, chilled, with fruity refinement...

If a bar of chocolate costs over £1, I wonder what they'd charge for a warm and wobbly plane oyster. Ugh!

If this doesn't tempt you, be sure to check out this by the same author :

and failing that, go to here for a long distance book club.

Supper Five

A gathering of friends, familiar and unfamilar faces, chatter and laughter. A supper of firsts, photographs and lots of recycling! We hope to welcome these jolly guests back again soon.

Preparations

Pasta

Ciabatta

All set

Charlie and Evelyn's Table

Welcome

Queen scallops, cauliflower puree

Service

To start

To follow

To finish

Menu Five

To start
Pea and Leek Soup, Smoked Salmon, Cucumber.

To follow
Mustard Crumble Rack of Lamb, Onion Strings, Olive Mash, Baby Spinach.

(v) Tuscan Courgette Lasagne, Spring Salad.

To finish
Indulgence is the Only Way: Chocolate Pudding, Chocolate Ice Cream,
Mango Sorbet.

Dig on for Victory

Although it's been rather cool this past week or so, we have had sunshine and our Summer salad seeds have had a sudden spurt of growth. Despite living on the top floor of a tenement, we are determined to have as much of a garden as possible. While we dream of having a proper garden with a full on vegetable patch, raised beds and fruit trees, for now we're making do with five window boxes and a collection of pots!


We've become very paternal over a few little seedlings, sad really, but the thought of growing something from scratch which will then end up on our guests plates really appeals. So far, the most successful is the “Sweet Genovese” basil. It's growing evenly and steadily and already smells like basil!









The rocket, despite a strong start, seems to have peaked early and activity here seems to have dwindled. Time to move it to a warmer spot...

Outside, rosemary, mint, thyme and chives are thriving but sadly the same cannot be said for our rhubarb. It's not looking so good. We’ve planted it in a massive pot, but at this rate, we’d be lucky to feed one guest let alone serve whole tables!

We recently received a copy of Dig on for Victory, Mr Middleton's all-year-round guide to gardening from 1945. It's amazing and really comprehensive but it's certainly made us realise that successful gardening, even on a small scale, requires way more work and care than you could imagine and an equal measures of patience. Think we could do with a bit more of both here.