I have been told that trees love a cold winter when they can sink dormant under a blanket of snow and ice and then spring back to life with energy and new growth. Have you noticed this year how the blossoms are spectacular? Our apple trees are covered in flowers, the horse chestnuts around the village are bowed down with their pyramid spikes and the cow parsley on the footpath from St. Mary's Church is blowsy with white sprays.
Its other name is Queen Anne's Lace which is much nicer and so romantic. The froth and delicacy of its structure conjures up for me weddings and lightness of spirit and sets the tone for the month of June.
The Asparagus this year from Abbey Parks in Boston has been very,very good. The spears have been succulent and plump and we would expect to have deliveries until the longest day which is the 21st. of this month. We have also been roasting seasonal rhubarb to accompany our Lemon Posset on the cafe menu. Try cutting up the stems into centimetre cubes (the really red rhubarb is the best because it holds it colour) and put them into a roasting pan...not too crowded. Chop up 2-3 pieces of stem ginger in syrup into tiny bits and sprinkle over the rhubarb with some unrefined caster sugar. Lastly some zest from an orange and lay a vanilla pod across the fruit. Cover with foil tightly and bake for 15 - 20 minutes in a hot oven. Some flavour combinations are just made in heaven and rhubarb and ginger is one of them! Serve with ice cream.
We have a great range of Rose Wines in the off licence ranging from the rich ruby colours of the New World vineyards to the gentle dusky pink of the Provencal grapes. If you really want to treat yourself, try the Sancerre Rose!
They all have a distinct flavour and smell and come into their own on a still summer evening. We will have our bottle chiller on at the weekends so we can chill any wine for you in a matter of minutes. Take advantage of the long evenings while you can and savour these special wines with a few seasonal berries in your own garden.
Our seasonal summer menu was received well when we opened our cafe in the evening at the end of May. Cod with a herb crust and the proscuitto wrapped asparagus were particularly popular. We have several more dates lined up for you on a Saturday: 4th. June, 26th. June and 10th. July.
Just want to give you notice that the cafe will not be open in the daytime on Friday 9th. July. Jayne Blakeman who used to work for us is getting married and has chosen to have her family wedding reception in the Garden Cafe. Our first catering for a Wedding. It will be so exciting and we are hoping for fine weather and a happy day.
Let's not forget Dad! Father's Day is on June 20th. and we have some unusual gifts to tempt you. Fun things like jokey coasters and chocolate playing cards. Or baskets that hold a trio of jams or chutneys. Choose from the wide range on our shelves...has he got a sweet tooth or is he a savoury man?! Then there are our speciality beers. Dorothy Goodbody usually gets a laugh! Buy six assorted and present them in a neat carrier. And finally we have something really special and unique. Carol Webb from the Jewel Box has brought us some fantastic cufflinks and vintage Tootal scarves. The patterns on them are so beautiful and a customer told me that they were featured in the Guardian or Observer last weekend so come and see them. At £24.00 I suspect they are an investment!
I can't believe that the next time I write to you we will be over half way through the year. We are going to be looking to freeze some seasonal fruit. So if you have a glut of gooseberries, currants or raspberries in good condition, come and see us and we'll strike a deal!
See you soon
Jan
