Menu for holidays coming

It's not just Coca Cola that thinks it, holidays are coming. Since my last post, the season's have switched again. It's Winter here in Edinburgh, not actually that cold, yet, but cold enough for wooly hats, occasional log fires, hot chocolate and thoughts of festive cheer. The leaves have mostly blown from the trees, the night's are darker, sooner, and I'm excited for our Winter suppers in the weeks ahead.

This menu will be served at our first new season supper.

To start
Pear, Parmesan, rocket, truffle oil salad {all but one portion} with rare roasted beef.

To follow
Roast fillet of salmon, spiced lentils and foie gras.

To finish
Roasted figs, spiced Winter loaf or for our gluten free guest, roasted figs, spiced oranges and pomegranate.

Menu to warm hearts

We always cook our food with love and make sure that it not only tastes good, but we hope that the whole "eat out in" dining experience is heart-warming. This warmth is especially important when the weather turns colder (like right now) and when welcoming a table of guests, all friends of a friend, who have never dined with us before but have been invited along perhaps excitedly, perhaps a little suspiciously (as is the case on Friday). We hope this menu makes them all feel at home:


To start
Salmon rillettes or for our vegetarian guest spinach pate, homemade honey and walnut soda bread.

To follow
Loin of venison or fillet of beef with Szechuan hotpot or for our vegetarian guest, Szechuan aubergine with rice.

To finish
Chocolate pecan pie, maple creme fraiche.

For Laura Robson, in pictures.

Two of the couples who joined us on Friday night had dined at the original Charlie and Evelyn's Table many months ago while three of the couples dining had never experienced our supper club or any supper club before. (I think they're converted!) It made for an great evening, interesting conversations (including sharing the best year of your life to date) and a special guest appearance from our little girl who knows a good party when she hears one. Here are the pictures.

 Pretty peonies on the table.

To welcome Pea and Pecorino toasts.

Tandoori stuffed mushrooms.

To amuse Spiced courgette and coconut soup with orange zest and mint.

To start Crevettes*, new potato and smoked bacon salad.

To follow Salmon* wilted lettuce, cucumber, vine tomato sauce.

To finish Strawberry meringues, strawberry, black pepper ice cream.

*The weather was not in our favour for our fish and seafood focussed menu (sea too choppy, rivers too full) so, instead of Scottish langoustines we had crevettes from French waters and instead of wild salmon we had farmed salmon.

Menu for Laura Robson

My career in PR has left me unable to let a tenuous link pass me by. So, this week, as I've been watching the odd bit of tennis, it's a menu for Laura Robson who was knocked out of Wimbledon but selected for the Olympic Games yesterday.  A selection of fine British ingredients, a punnet or two of strawberries, of course and lots of luck to the other British players.

To start
Langoustine, new potato and smoked bacon salad.

To follow
Wild salmon, wilted lettuce, cucumber, vine tomatoes.

To finish
Strawberry meringues with black pepper ice cream.

For a Scottish Summer, in pictures

Thankfully after a greatly enjoyed supper for our return, we only had to wait a matter of hours before we were back in the kitchen, resetting the table and standing at the front door wondering who we were about to welcome and looking forward to seeing some familiar faces too. A group of 11 lovely ladies and one great guy gathered this night and dined on:

To welcome Stilton gougeres and Seared tuna, radish, wasabi.

To amuse Pappa al pomodoro

To start
Salmon rillettes.

To follow {by special request}
Beef Wellingtons, asparagus, green beans.

To finish 

Lemon, rosemary tarts.

You can also read how one of our diners found it here.

Menu for a Scottish Summer

Living in Edinburgh, we know better than to count on a proper Summer. The key is to make the most of the sunshine when it appears and not to be afraid to revisit your Winter wardrobe or warming Winter dishes when necessary. Here we've opted for a light start, rich main and a perfectly lemony finale.


To start
Salmon rillettes.

To follow {by special request}
Beef Wellingtons, asparagus, green beans.

To finish
Lemon, rosemary tarts.

Festival canapes

Back when The Festival was in full swing, we found a corner of calm among the glistening, bright shelves of sweet smelling bottles to present some Scottish canapes and escape the hustle and bustle in favour of some pampering. We met some lovely ladies too.

Dunsyre blue cheese mousse on homemade buttery oat biscuits.

Scottish berry skewers with milk chocolate drizzle.

Northern shores hot smoked salmon, mousse on home made buttery oat biscuits.

A Christening day

With the pain of loss heavy in our hearts, we gathered with our family and close friends to celebrate the joint baptism of our baby and our new nephew, her cousin. We may have hired a venue but we wanted to provide the light lunch for guests ourselves, of course. So it was another late night and early start in our kitchen.

My late Nana's 90 year old Christening gown.

We chose a menu which included highlights from the wedding picnic with a couple of additions:

Rosemary spiced nuts (recipe coming soon).

Grissini with Parma ham.

Chicken liver pate or hummus.

Selection of three cheeses.

Horseradish cured salmon.

Armstrong’s home smoked trout with shaved fennel.

Bower’s rare roasted beef.

**

Baguette by Herbies of Stockbridge.

Courgette and lemon salad.

Potato salad.

Mango and spinach salad.

Roasted cherry tomato and feta salad.

Charlie and Evelyn’s House Chutney selection: courgette, cucumber pickle or onion jam.

**

Christening cake, cupcakes and strawberries.

With the exception of some delicious left over beef, there was very little remaining once the guests departed. Clear plates were the only evidence we needed that the food had been enjoyed.

Bunting (first made for a wonderful wedding) on loan from a good friend in Jersey who couldn't make it but was with us in spirit.

Sunny handmade pinwheels for the children (tested but not waterproof)!

Delicate lace hydrangea.

A jar of rosemary spiced nuts on the table.

A selection.

My plate (carefully arranged for the photo) and a menu.

Mini E cupcakes.

Sleepy Eva's Christening cake.

Lavender cupcakes with Christening wraps.

A wedding picnic

It still hasn't sunken in. We did a wedding. Yes, we did.

It took many hours of preparation (including three dedicated to peeling quail's eggs), it lasted seven hours and took us over two weeks to recover! Words don't often fail but for now, the photos can tell the story.

The aim, the menu.

The first layer.

Scottish blue cheese mousse.

In the kitchen.

Prawn, cucumber, mint and feta skewers.

Quail's eggs.

Perfect baguettes.

Courgette chutney.

In a pickle.

Wedding day cucumber pickle.

Teaspoons (for the chutneys).

A Fortnum (the collective noun for hampers of course).

The second layer.

New potatoes.

Courgette and lemon salad.

Stacks of salad.

Green beans and Parmesan.

The second layer of the hamper.

Spinach leaves with mango.

All set for the feast.

The hall.

Wild, homegrown flowers.

Sweet smelling.

Top table.

A hamper...

...or two...

or 33!

Pretty table setting.

All ready.

The dashing couple.

Main course.

Horseradish marinated salmon.

Monkfish and smoked bacon skewers.

There's more.

Bunting.

The children's party.

Jelly cups.