Our newest Rose

This new rose is a bit different for me. I saw it last year in Alnwick Garden and had it send from somewhere north. I can’t remember the name but the colour is unusual. Mr C has been adhering to the sainted David Attenborough’s advice (his excuse) and finally got the grass cut today. I say grass not lawn. In fact it is now weeds and moss.

I spent the morning preparing the meal for Lynne and Gavin coming over tonight. She’s a wonderful cook so it’s a pleasure to do my best for her as I know she appreciates it. We’ll start with Lithuanian pink soup (beetroot, cucumber slivers, kefir, chipped spring onions and the quail’s eggs garnished with dill.

For main I have prepared a very complicated Guardian Feast affair. I had to soak cashew nuts in boiling water and roast chopped aubergine and tomatoes. The cashew nuts were blended with smoked tofu, the tomatoes, garlic, lemon juice and rind, cayenne paper and water. I fried a couple of sliced banana shallots then added the aubergine, a tin of butter beans and the sauce. Salads are sliced cabbage (from the garden) with blue cheese, parsley and kidney beans. The dressing is yogurt, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and salt. The other salad is our leaves plus watercress, radishes, toasted hazelnuts, dried cranberries with a dressing of tahini blended with cucumber lemon juice, olive oil and garlic.

Pudding is summer pudding to use up last year’s fruit from the freezer. Instead of doing it in a pudding bowl I layer a loaf tin with bread and the fruit. I think it looks prettier on the plate than the one in the bowl. But 2 purple courses! What was I thinking!!