Fab few food weeks

I love Autumn...bright blue skies, tantilising tendrils of wood smoke combined with the late bounty of squash, cavelo nero and other harvest delights.

So I decided to make the most of the season by taking weeks staycation during which I racked up quite a few food forays.

First up was talk by Rachel Demuth at Newton St Loe farm shop (hidden gem just between Bristol and Bath in super cute village that has a village hall that doubles at village pub). 

The demo showed how to make the most of Autumnal delights and the menu was as follows:

• Sautéed wild mushrooms with quince membrillo
• Roasted pumpkin, hazelnut and feta salad
• Watercress and walnut pearl barley risotto 

Rachel raved about another use for quinces which was to make a Quince vodka infusion that apparently takes much less time to mature than say sloe gin..so inspired by this I've got a batch on the go and will report back on success at Christmas. It contains masses of sugar so I'm hoping for fragrant syrup to give as presents and douse ice cream with.

I then headed off for few days mooching about Cotswold's staying up in Worcester at the very comfortable Eckington Manor...oak beamed building with under floor heating, goose down bedding and Fired Earth bathroom suite. Which also has cookery school and we booked in to learn the science behind meringue, macaroon and marshmallows. 

It was a great demo but not sure I'm inclined towards the accuracy these things need but I do own a sugar thermometer so perhaps I should face the fear and get hot and sticky!

Also whilst visiting the nearby Snowshill Manor (two manors in one day - get me) I picked up some beautiful apples..small, sharp flavour bullets that I'm going to relish with a very ripe cheese.

 

A dash back to Bristol took me to a special Halloween dinner put on by the Mi Casa crew. We were told to meet down an alley in a very insalubrious part of town..where a cloaked man holding Victorian style lamp was waiting (he tried to keep a somber face but by friend had him struggling to hide smiles). He then walked us to back of building and into old lift that descended doooown into low ceiling-ed basement where this greeted us.

thank you for a super supper

Luckily what followed was delicious feast including beetroot martini and a gruesome shortbread finger.