-
Polly’s Simple, Mild Chilli Sauce
My chilli collection is split very definitely into two categories, mine and the garden apprentice’s. I’m afraid it’s rather stereotypical, I like the milder Jalapeño type chillies. Whilst he likes the silly hot chillies, along the lines of Habanero and Naga. As the big bulk of our chillies are harvested in the summer, we needed a way of preserving the fruits for winter. We used to simply chop the chillies up and pickle them, but there’re two problems with this method. Firstly as you eat food with chopped chillies, you can get some rather hot mouthfuls and some rather dull ones, it was too inconsistent. Secondly you don’t always want…
-
Heatwave – Monsoon. How the Flowers coped
It’s been a strange year for flowers, some came and went so quickly as a result of the heatwaves and generally hot summer. Quite disappointing when you’re looking forward to seeing them. Others like Ligularia ‘Desdemonas’ huge leaves kept wilting, but then revived with a small amount of water and went on to flower. The Walnut’s drunk all the Water Lots of the mid-summer perennials just didn’t reach their usual size. The thalictrum being the most obvious down in the white garden. It only reached about half the normal height, with very few flowers. I suppose it’s not that surprising that quite a few plants in the white garden have…
-
Visiting the Gardens at Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saisons. Part 3 – Polytunnels, Compost, The Orchard & Tasting
“Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons is the fulfillment of a personal vision, a dream that one day I would create a hotel and restaurant in harmony where my guests would find perfection in food, comfort, service and welcome.” Raymond Blanc. Having been drawn down the famous lavender path upon arrival, walked around the Manor and on into the vegetable garden in part one. Watched the swan in the lily pond, meandered around the Japanese water garden, before checking out the Herb and Heritage garden, in part two. We now sit, poised on the recycled champagne bottle bench wondering, what does Raymond Blanc grow in his polytunnels? Oh, it’s starting to…
-
Visiting the Gardens at Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saisons. Part 2 – Ponds, Herbs, & Saving Our Heritage
Raymond Blanc, talking about his beloved mother. “She instilled values which I have stuck by throughout my career – fresh; local; and seasonal ingredients and made with the art of giving. We picked ours from the garden and they were all organic as they are here today at Le Manoir gardens. I did my apprenticeship as a gardener before becoming a cook!” Last week in part one, we’d arrived in the carpark and taken a stroll down the infamous lavender path, having our first glimpse of the beautiful, honey coloured Manor House. Made our way past the croquet lawn and guests sitting on the Orangerie terrace, drinking in the afternoon…
-
Visiting the Gardens at Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saisons. Part 1 – Le Manoir, Lawns, Lavender & Vegetables
“I absolutely love gardens! Way back in 1984, the first thing I did at Le Manoir was create the vegetable garden which would provide for my kitchen and for our guests. Now we have 11 different gardens and a 2,500-strong heritage orchard! Each is inspired by my travels, my childhood, my papa’s garden, books I have read and the wonderful people I have met over the years.” Raymond Blanc. Created in 1984, Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons is the fulfilment of Raymond Blanc‘s personal vision – to create a hotel and restaurant in harmony, where guests will find perfection in food, service and welcome. I can only start by saying how…
-
Pear & Raspberry Cake – Gluten Free
We grow two most delicious desert pears ‘Louise Bonne of Jersey’ and ‘Beth’. Unfortunately, with pears, they all ripen within a short period of time, usually around a fortnight, so a cake beckons. We are lucky enough to have a long south facing boundary in the garden, where we built a wall. The fruit trees grow along the wall. A Plum and Cherry are grown as fans and a Fig as an espalier. The Apples and Pear trees are grown as cordons. This means a single stem planted at a 45-degree angle. We get more than enough fruit off them grown this way, with the big benefit of not having…
-
The Geese are back in town! – Autumn is around the corner!
I am now awakened regularly by loud honking first thing in the morning. Not from a car, but because the geese are back in town! I’m not at all annoyed, I love hearing them and lie there smiling. They fly over the house three or four times each morning; I never know if it’s the same flock going round and around or if it’s three or four different flocks. The Canada geese return to us each year in late August, and it starts with just a handful. You’re suddenly aware of that distinctive honking sound, and sure enough there’s a small ‘V’ formation in the sky. By mid-September though, there…
-
The Big Lavender Chop
The Lavender path along the greenhouse has had a seriously big chop this year. I’m not sure how this story is going to end, and I guess I won’t know fully until next year! To keep your lavender looking good for as long as possible, it’s really important to trim it every year. It needs to be done as soon as the flowers have gone over, this is usually early September. It’s also important to not trim it too late in the year. It needs time to put on new growth and for this soft new growth to harden up, giving it protection through the winter. The most important rule…
-
Courgette & Cauliflower Cheese Vegetable Lasagne – You’ll never want a meat one again!
Can be gluten free If you grow your own summer squashes, then you too will be desperate for new things to do with them. They certainly are prolific croppers. Over the years we have used courgettes and other summer squashes in more and more inventive ways. One of our favourites is to use it in Courgette cake which we eat for breakfast with yogurt, it’s really good! But we have a new favourite! I speak to you as a meat eater when I tell you that this vegetable lasagne is far, far better than a traditional beef lasagne! If this dish doesn’t convert the most ardent carnivore to eating at…
-
Simply Delicious Cauliflower Cheese – Recipe
I love cauliflower cheese! I only have to hear someone mention it, and I crave it until I get chance to buy a cauli and make it. This has led me to make a larger portion and freeze it in batches. That way I can satisfy my craving instantly. Well at least when it’s defrosted! Having these portions ready made has recently resulted in making one of our favourite dishes, even better! In the summer when our courgette plant is producing so much fruit we can hardly keep up with it. We make so many different dishes with them, including courgette cake. One of our favourite dishes though, is vegetable…
