Menu for a fruity Friday

Making the most of Summer's bounty, there's fruit in every course for Friday. Guests will be tucking into this light but indulgent menu course by course.

To start
Tuna three ways: seared, carpaccio, mousse

To follow
Pulled pork, wilted chicory, apple and carrot slaw, toasted brioche

To finish
Chocolate tart {chocolate cake for our l.f. and g.f guests}, mascarpone and white chocolate ice cream, strawberries.

For a Scottish, Italian Feast #1, in pictures.

Despite our first ever group cancellation this week and thanks to some enthusiastic diners joining us last minute, Friday's supper went ahead with all the usual verve and reminded us happily of how our supper club started at the original Charlie and Evelyn's Table. The guests and flavours were vivacious and we hope we transported their taste buds to Italy with some fine Scottish produce. Here are my pics.

To welcome Caledonian blue cheese mousse, homemade oat biscuits.

Pea and pecorino smash, toasted ciabatta.

To amuse Pappa al pomodoro.

To start Venison carpaccio, garden salad (thanks Hannah), orange.

 To follow Pan-fried cod, tomato farro, green beans, salsa verde.

Fig, nectarine, Tallegio, homemade crackers.

 To finish Ricotta and white chocolate cheesecake, strawberries with basil, walnut and date shards.

With coffee Chris's homemade chocolate truffles.

To warm hearts, in pictures.

The beautiful flowers and the roaring fire set the scene tonight; the guests were such a warm hearted group that they didn't really need the help of our menu. Nevertheless, we welcomed them whole heartedly (as promised) and continued to enjoy watching new faces relax in our home and dine at our table.

Here are the photos:

What kind of flowers are the orange ones? Does anyone know?

To welcome Beef, horseradish cream toasts

and stilton mousse, homemade buttery oat biscuits.

To start Salmon rillettes, walnut and honey soda bread.

or spinach and ricotta pate, walnut and honey soda bread.

To follow Loin of venison with Szechuan hotpot 

  or fillet of beef with Szechuan hotpot

or Szechuan aubergine with paneer and rice.

To finish Chocolate pecan tart, maple creme fraiche.

And, to avoid one guest's chocolate and nut nemesis, spiced red wine poached pear, blackberry ripple ice cream.

Behind the scenes, we renamed this supper "For Peppa Pig" simply because,  thanks to Peppa, we managed to distract our wide awake little girl while we welcomed guests! E, I know you can't read yet, but please pick up the vibes, a return to your sleeping through supper clubs form tomorrow would be appreciated.

For thirteen, in pictures.

We had thirteen lovely guests join us from across Edinburgh and Glasgow last night. For most of our guests, it was their first supper club experience. It is especially great fun to welcome slightly anxious diners unsure of what to expect and to watch them relax and enjoy as the evening unfolds. For one group, it was  far from their first supper club, as hosts of Supper in the suburbs, it was a chance to take a break from their Glasgow kitchens and to enjoy a night on the other side of a supper club table. 

This is how it looked:

Sweet Williams on the table.

Places set.

  

To welcome Stilton gougeres.

To welcome Lamb bites, mint yogurt.

To amuse Pea, mint, bacon.

 

To start Mozzarella, orange, beetroot. 

 

 Handmade honey and walnut soda bread.

 Cod with herb butter, pre roasting.

To follow Cod, garlic, herb butter, caramelised tomatoes. 

 

To finish Chocolate 'tart', strawberry ice cream.

With coffee Chris's hazelnut truffles.

Burgher Burger

If you want a ticket you need to be quick. Like, these tickets sell out in under eight minutes, quick. So you can imagine how pleased I was to be invited to the first Burgher Burger event with Chef Neil Forbes, especially as our own kitchen is non existant right now.

This event also marks an new milestone for the pop up dining scene in Edinburgh which I don't really need to say, we're passionate about and, although it sounds gushing, is something we really wished for when we first established Charlie and Evelyn's Table. Now, curious diners are really embracing the concept with a great range of over 12 supper clubs and pop ups to choose from. The diners we sat with at Burgher Burger were a brilliant example of an outgoing, friendly couple, new to Edinburgh and looking for a unique way to discover the city, meet new people and have satisfied bellies! They'd so far tried seven of the pop ups on offer and were still keen for more.

Anyway, back to Burgher Burger. I'd listened and salivated while listening to Neil and Aoife, who is behind the concept, on BBC Scotland's Kitchen Cafe and was excited to get chance to join other eager diners at a venue I'd never visited and to eat a pro chef's ultimate burger menu. I felt I was someway to understanding the challenge he faced as a supper club hostess, working in a small kitchen, to produce the best food we can. I really wondered what it would be like for Neil and his team, out of his usual kitchen, with equipment that probably wasn't fully functioning, no hot pass and a new menu, a far cry from his usual restaurant, but still with the same quality standards. [If you're reading Neil, please leave us a comment and let us know how it was for you.]

We arrived to a buzzing cafe environment, the lighting was low, intimate even, the chatter was loud, the music lively and the retro tables set to be brought alive with something they'd never seen before. We were ready.

Innis and Gunn were in charge of drinks and they were seriously free flowing. The lighter beers, raspberry and Blonde at the start of the meal were my favourite but it would have been rude not to try the Original and Rum cask bottles on offer. Burger eating is thristy work after all.

Slick service was all down to the waiting staff moving quickly and getting the food on the tables and that they did.

The seafood cocktail starter was a real highlight for me. The fresh prawn and crab combination, a simple take on the classic with the added discovery of a mussel or two and some salad crunch. Delicious.

And then, the mighty burger with all the sides you might expect and more condiments than you could wish for (including jalapenos). Mmmmmm.

And finally, as if you hadn't had enough, a very gooey brownie and ice cream.

The combination of the concept, quirky venue, the carefully created atmosphere, the challenge the chef faced and quality of food and beers on offer was winning.

There is a common misconception that because we are such avid eaters and we run a supper club that we feast every night on gourmet menus and only go to "fine dining" restaurants. It's false. The truth is we like things that taste good. Comfort foods like scrambled eggs, a quality bacon sandwich, fresh cauliflower cheese, and of course burgers are all common place and highly ranked in our home but we always use the best ingredients we can get out hands on and we felt that this ethos was something Neil worked to as he put his mind to burgers. As for fine dining, we love to do that when we can but we also enjoy eating in smaller, simpler venues and discovering new ways to eat out in Edinburgh. At the rate the pop up/supper club scene is currently growing, we need to get eating to keep up.

And, if you can't wait until the next tickets are available or you missed out, keep trying but so you don't go hungry, we'd really recommend Friday Night's at Moo Cafe, it's every Friday (not quite as exciting) to satisfy your meantime need for burgers in the Burgher, until you get a ticket for the real deal that is.

2011, part two.

July

Vegetables chopped, jars filled, preparations completed. A special picnic. Somehow, a beautiful and creative wedding. A three month old baby is shaded from the sunshine, kicking her legs freely while her exhausted parents lie watching. And cake club, with rainbow cake.

August

A family gather for a dear lady's final birthday and soon after they gather again to say goodbye. A special 90 year old gown is worn. A Christening day reminds us that there is new life to be celebrated. Festival canapes are served. A seaside adventure.

September

The best shortbread we've tasted, canapes for ladies, an unlikely but pleasing flavour combination and, away from the blog, a baby girl takes her seat (high chair) at Charlie and Evelyn's Table for the first time.

October

Adventures. Hungarian breakfasts, a very hot marathon, goulash. A family return home and head far north. Sunshine, peace, past memories recalled and new ones made. Amazing sights, delicious seafood. Guests return to the Table.

November

A busy, dusty house with lots of skilled workers, each with their own job. We want to run away. Trying to keep our vision in mind as windows, fireplaces, doors, floors and walls are transformed. Work in progress. Cleaning. Meals were simple and quick.

December

A busy house. An early Christmas present - appearing in Woman and Home Magazine (sorry, I forgot to say). Work delayed, snow, then at last, the dining room completed. The Christmas table laid. Friends and family are warmly welcomed. Fresh holly, candle light, love, laughter, feasting.

This year we will be back to more regular blog posts and more regular suppers too. The next part of our renovations is the kitchen. Wish us luck. We can't wait to see you when it's done.