Menu for a sweet and sour Friday

C and I have spent most of this week apart, spread across the UK, he working in Cardiff and I extending my birthday celebrations in Durham. Now that we're both back in Scotland, we have at last agreed the menus in person. We're all set for a weekend of supper clubbing ahead.

Friday's menu will offer:

To start

Seared tuna with mango salsa

and for our vegetarian guest, avocado with mango salsa.

To follow

Asian braised beef with a hot and sour salad

and, Asian braised vegetables, noodles and a hot and sour salad.

To finish

Peach melba.

For Team GB, in pictures.

Rather unusually, we began the evening huddled and cheering around the TV. Watching Mo Farah become a great, great Olympic champion with his win in the 5000m. And, then the excitement continued with introductions for a group entirely made up of supper club first timers and the going for gold menu we'd created...

Red, white and blue roses set the patriotic scene.

  To welcome: cucumber, crab and radish bites.

 Tandoori stuffed button mushrooms.

To amuse: rocket, courgette soup with goat's cheese.

To start: wild salmon, shaved fennel.

To follow: poppy seed venison, wild mushroom risotto, watercress, jus.

To finish: melon soup, strawberries.

With coffee: honeycomb truffles.

For a reunion, in pictures.

For the first time this year, our lovely guests arrived without jackets, thanks to the gloriously sunny evening. We took hydrangea from our garden, remembering how we cut them exactly a year ago for our Christening party and we served up a slightly Spanish influenced menu with Manchego, Romesco sauce and paella.

 The Table.

To welcome: Tandoori stuffed button mushrooms and

 cucumber, crab and radish bites.

To amuse: Rocket, courgette soup with goat's cheese.

To start: Prosciutto, watercress and Manchego cheese salad with homemade soda bread.

To follow: Lamb, Romesco sauce, virgin paella, chilli green beans.

To finish: Warm chocolate pudding, balsamic fruits, vanilla ice cream.

With coffee: Handmade truffles with honeycomb.

Menu for Team GB

A wee nod to Olympic mania, for this menu we're using champion ingredients, delicate sea trout, crunchy fennel, premium venison and super sweet melon and strawberries. Just like the athletes, we're going for gold!

To start
Sea trout, shaved fennel.

To follow
Poppy seed venison, wild mushroom risotto, watercress, jus.

To finish
Melon soup, strawberries.

Menu for a reunion

Really looking forward to Friday's supper where a group of familiar diners will gather to celebrate a delightful lady returned from far flung lands, a wonderful, newly wed couple and friendship! They will feast on:

To start:
Prosciutto watercress, spinach and manchego cheese salad.

To follow:
Lamb, romesco sauce, virgin paella, chilli green beans.


To finish:
Warm chocolate pudding, balsamic fruits, vanilla ice cream.

For Sunday Brunch Club, in pictures.

Admittedly this post is a month overdue but the coincidence of a terribly long broadband drop out and a wonderful holiday meant opportunities for hassle free posting have been non-existant. Now broadband and we are returned to our home, we can look back on a great gathering, a welcome return to our table for some vivacious Sunday Brunch Clubbers and what can only be described as a party atmosphere!

 To amuse Pea, mint, bacon.

To start Jewelled venison carpaccio, beetroot relish.

 To follow Lamb noisettes, mustard crumble, new potatoes, creamed spinach.

To finish Coconut pavlovas, lemon and lime, ginger ice cream, passion fruit.

or tropical sundae {by request}.

Menu for Sunday Brunch Club.

Well, as broadband appears to be holding out, time for another quick post. Our next menu for the lovely, champagne sipping Sunday Brunch Clubbers:

To start

Jewelled venison carpaccio, beetroot relish.

To follow

Lamb noisettes, mustard crumble, new potatoes, creamed spinach.

To finish

Coconut pavlovas, lemon and lime, ginger ice cream, passion fruit.