september

Lunch. Spag with chorizo, tomatoes, smoked paprika

Dinner. Crab spring rolls with chilli, ginger, garlic, spring onion, lemon grass; stock from the crab shell, reduced; green beans with ginger, garlic, oyster sauce; soba noodles

I bought a whole cooked crab. It took about an hour to extract all the meat from the little bits of leg and so on, but having the whole crab means you have the whole shell and you can make a lovely stock from it.

We have way too much white wine in the larder, which we had bought in the expectation of warm summer evenings and eating outside. So we are drinking it up before it gets too cold. Tonight was the turn of an Alscace Riesling. Hugh Johnson says to have crab. (Or choucroute – see monday)

Apple, plum, blackberry crumble and cream

... using the results from the morning’s raiding party on mum’s garden

Lunch: spag with roquefort

Dinner: Ate out

Smoked ham, sauerkraut with juniper and caraway, mashed potatoes

Plum and almond cake

Cake mixture ingredients were something like the following: 3 oz butter, 2 oz soft brown sugar and 2 tbs honey, 1 egg, 2 oz flour, 1.5 oz ground almonds. It went in the 7" square tin. Some number (6-8?) of stoned, halved plums went on top, and also at least one of the stones. It got baked somewhere in the oven when I made bread so I don’t really know what temperature it got baked at, nor for how long. Rolf’s mum Ingrid makes the most wonderful plum cake; I have never got the recipe from her, but keep trying to recreate it.

Cod with cardamom, orange, cream sauce; courgettes, gnocchi

Figs with chipotle syrup and chèvre

Four large figs, left on the windowsill to go nearly mouldy. Made a syrup with 0.5 tbs sugar, about 5mm chunk of chipotle, chopped, and a little honey. Marinated the figs in the syrup while I went out for an easy ride on an astonishingly lovely late afternoon. It was quite hot. The syrup, I mean.

I also made a courgette and smoked ham soup. Andi brought some rather large courgettes, marrows really, to the office. I diced and sautéed this very large courgette, softened some onion, garlic, with some dill. Then liquidised it, mostly, but leaving some chunks. Added finely diced smoked ham.

Smoked trout, lemon and black pepper risotto, green beans, tomatoes and basil

Rhubarb, roasted, and cream

Courgette and ham soup

Tuna steaks with lime, tomato, chilli, ciltantro, avocado oil; sweetcorn, rice

Pepperonata (sic) tartlets (Waitrose)

Chicken breasts, stuffed with sage, garlic, candied lemon, breadcrumbed and baked; spinach, new potatoes

Lunch: spinach, red pepper, chilli, onion with ginger, lemongrass, nam pla, coconut milk, cilantro; black rice noodles

This all looks very pretty with the black rice noodles. I havent quite got the noodles right - they are very sticky

Dinner: ham with cream and mustard sauce, cabbage, potatoes

Quince curd tart

Lunch: spag with tomato, chilli, vodka, cream

Dinner: Diana and Martin

Risotto ai funghi, with truffle oil

Slow roast pork shoulder with 5-spice, butter beans, green beans

Chocolate and chipotle tart, strawberries in vodka

Llawnroc Brie, Pecorino, Reblochon, Petit Basque

Courgettes in moroccan spices and tomato

Ham, sauerkraut, crab apple jelly, fried potatoes

Hmm, the courses clash somewhat. I'm being lazy and using up leftovers in a hamfisted manner. Colin is away. The crab apples come from Hallow churchyard, the jelly made by a friend of Mum's.

Lentils, tomatoes with cilantro, chilli

5-spice Pork, cabbage, black rice noodles

Simon and Amelia

Salmon, couscous with tomato, harissa, mint

Pigeon breasts, porcini and cream sauce, truffle oil, spinach, tagliatelle

Grilled peaches, amaretti, cream

cheeses as on sunday

Sauteed squash, lentils, spinach; sauce of chilli, smoked paprika, cream, tomato puree, chevre; bulghar wheat

Pistachio cake, strawberries in Cointreau

Beefburgers, roquefort sauce, green beans, rice

Blackberry and apple, toasted oatmeal soaked in brandy

Dinner: Winifred and Charlotte

Paella (chorizo, chicken, prawns, red peppers, peas)

Plum and almond cake

Lunch: squash, courgette, tomatoes, spring onions, chilli, coconut milk, mint, soba noodles

Dinner: Confit of duck, flageolets, salad, bread

Tarte tatin

Stuffed peppers, tomatoes, fried potatoes, salad

Winifred and Charlotte cooked

Strawberries

Chicken tagine with olives and salted lemons, courgettes, couscous with pistachios and almonds

Tarte Tatin and cream

Stuffed pepppers, green lentils, tomatoes, cheese

Venison steaks, green peppercorns and cream sauce, potatoes, salad with roast garlic dressing

Ate out

Tagliatelle with smoked salmon, cream

Artichokes, puy lentils with tomato, feta, rosemary, chilli

Lunch: Ate out

Dinner: Bacon, watercress, horseradish cream

Roast chicken, giblet stuffing, leeks, morels, truffle oil, roast potatoes

Ate out

Spelt tagliatelle with chicken, bacon, sage, onion

Leeks, feta, olives in mint, parsley oil

Mushroom stroganoff, red peppers with chilli and tomato, rice

Lunch: spag and leftover chicken

Dinner: Duck breasts, sour cherry and Kirsch sauce,

Lunch: Onion and peppers with Indian spices, rice

Dinner: Apple, parsnip, stilton soup

Cod with puy lentils and chorizo, spinach, new potatoes