The Very Hungry Caterpillar First Birthday.

Our very hungry caterpillar turned one. We still can't believe it but we were delighted to celebrate with lots of our favourite people and a feast. We hosted a bright, balloon-filled party with a family lunch followed by cakes galore and the happy chaos of a full house and little hands clutching at cupcakes and tucking into as much garish icing as they could manage. We're still recovering! Hip hip horray.

Balloon caterpillar.

 On  Monday, he ate through one apple. But he was still hungry.

On Wednesday, he ate through three plums. But he was still hungry.

 

Magnificent, melting, 24 hour roast pork.

Irresistible crackling.

Juicy!

 Apple, carrot and red onion coleslaw.

 Wilted chicory, orange, blood orange and hazelnut salad. 

 Shredded pork stack, still warm.

Tuck in.

Home made apple and rosemary jelly.

 The edible Hungry Caterpillar.

The Table.

Super soft, Italian white rolls, buttered.

I managed to resist this unattended plate...

On Saturday he ate through one piece of chocolate cake...

Beautiful butterfly cupcakes with cheesecake and buttercream topping.

 Big sister hiding another cake in her frills and caught red handed!

 

"It's my party." 

"Yes, MY party (and you just blew out my candle)."

First cake face.

Menu for Thanksgiving

I know we don't technically celebrate Thanksgiving or benefit from a late November national holiday but most of the food blogs I read are talking about it and I do love any excuse for a gathering of friends or family and a feast. Although we won't get to eat this menu, we with serve it with grateful hearts, thanks for the support of our diners and three years of success with our wee at home supper club, from our first supper to now.

And so, the menu (don't fear there's plenty of time for turkey elsewhere)...

To start
Scallops {seabass} or apple with blue cheese {v} , celeriac puree and truffle vinaigrette.

To follow
Venison {chicken fillet} with mushroom risotto, root vegetable crisps or for our vegetarian guests, mushroom medley with mushroom risotto, root vegetable crisps.

To finish
Banoffee pie, cinnamon ice cream.

For a birthday girl, in pictures.

Last night, one special birthday girl was well and truly celebrated. There was even a quiz about her and a spectacular Queen of Sheba Cake (which we cannot take credit for). Always intrigued by new cake ideas, a quick search reveals via The Sweetest Kitchen "that the recipe originally appeared in Julia Child's first book, The French Chef. She says it was the first French cake she had ever eaten... and she had never forgotten it. " We hope our guests had an unforgettable cake and an unforgettable time!

Here is the feast:

To welcome Quails' eggs, Serrano ham.

 

To amuse Spicy parsnip, apple and pear soup, apple crisps.

To start Roasted beef or sweet potato, pear, chicory salad with homemade honey and walnut soda bread.

To follow Tandoori spiced lythe {or chicken}, cucumber raita, basmati rice, flat bread.

 

To finish Chocolate and lemongrass mousse with lime shortbread.

For harvest, in pictures.

Great fun was had at our Table last night. As well as the feast, guests treated themselves to a game of after dinner charades and treated us to a recital of the tale they had composed in the guest book, each guest being limited to just three words! Here's how it looked (sadly no videos of the charades):

The Harvest Table.

 

To welcome Buttery oat biscuits, chicken liver pate, sun dried tomatoes.

 To amuse Pea, Pecorino, Parmesan.

To start  Baked butternut squash and taleggio risotto.

To follow Beef, mushroom gratin, pumpkin puree, sauteed potatoes.

 To finish Chocolate "tart", blackberry ripple ice cream.

Menu for the changing season.

The coolness of the breeze is hardly a sign of Autumn in Edinburgh but the deep blue skies, golden light and changing leaves are more positive proof that a change is beginning and with September, the glut of berries passes and there's a move to apples, pears, plums and a return for beetroot and other things to look forward to. All of these ingredients are coming to future menus I reckon, but for Saturday and the first of September, here's what we decided:

To start

Duck rillettes, plums, Chris's soda bread.

To follow

Beef Stroganoff, buttered pappardelle.

To finish

Baked apple crumbles.

Menu for the last supper

It's no exaggeration to say Saturday's supper will be momentous. It will also be our last before we welcome a new arrival to our lives and our home. To mark the end of an era suitably, we've chosen to dish up:

To start

Crab, apple, celeriac salad, scallops.

To follow

Mustard crumble rack of lamb, mash, tender stem broccoli, onion strings.

To finish

Rhubarb tarts.

Feeling fruity menu

To start

Crab, celeriac, apple salad with scallops.

To follow

Saddle of hare, beetroot, mash.

To finish

Marmalade souffle.

Menu for food lovers

For our uncharacteristic Valentine's supper, we're not going for food of love, more a general love of food. Here's what we'll be serving:

To start

Roasted beetroot risotto, parmesan crisps.

To follow

Beef fillet, mushroom gratin, watercress puree, crispy potatoes.

To refresh

Queen of Tarts' grapefruit and ginger granita.

To finish

As it's National Bramley Apple Week, Apple, pear, quince charlotte, greek yoghurt.

Menu Twenty One

It's our twenty first and we're celebrating with a supper by special request of Stephanie and her friends at Sunday Brunch Club. We've chosen a menu which features our takes on some traditional, comfort dishes; perfect Winter eating.

To start
Cured salmon, onion confit, smoked bacon.

To follow
Beef casserole, rarebit, broccoli, red cabbage.

To finish
Apple, cinnamon brulee, green apple sorbet.

Menu Seventeen

Here's what's in store for the first of this week's diners:

To start
Pumpkin, sage, pecorino open lasagne.

To follow
Venison stroganoff, sweet potato straws.

To finish
Toffee apples, frangipane, apple sorbet, Earl Grey syrup.

Menu Thirteen

To start

Hot smoked salmon stack, beetroot, homegrown rocket, pumpkin seeds.

To follow

Caraway roast pork, pear puree, mustard, onion mash, braised red cabbage.

To finish

Apple and blackberry crumble, cinnamon ice cream.