A Ducking Good Day at River Cottage

Blessed with true British weather, my day at the River Cottage Duck Fair really was perfect weather for our webbed-feet friends. The rain didn’t dampen the mood though and a great day was to be had. As a fan of River Cottage and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall ‘excited’ does not sum up my emotions on arrival at the farm, and the skidding run to the gates through the mud turned me from town-dweller to country-kin in one swift glide.

I won’t bore you with how Hugh F-W made my lunch and then asked my opinions on the flavour combinations etc, or how I was on the prime-time Channel 4 broadcast of River Cottage Autumn. But I do want to share with you my beetroot conversion.

As featured in the TV programme, there was a beetroot tent at the fair containing all things purple, aiming to convert people like myself from beetroot haters to beetroot lovers. I am always one to try something out, and through my journey of beetroot salsa, beetroot brownies and beetroot ice-cream I actually found myself enjoying the whole experience. I actually liked the purple vegetable so much I went home and made beetroot brownies.

I am now a full convert and can’t get enough of the staining colour. So much so that I am going to post the brownie recipe in a couple of days in hope that you will make it too and enjoy the moist, deep purple, yummy, gooey cake as much as me.

Sarah

Time for tea for two…or ten…

The clocks are going back, the snow is settling in (well… in some parts of the country anyway) and everyone is starting to grumble about the countdown to Christmas. Now I don’t know about you, but I find that the best solution to the above occurrences is a nice cup of tea and a sit down. What better way to do this then with a beautiful teapot.

Ranging in sizes from two-cup/one-mug, up to gigantic ten-cup teapots there is no excuse not to take the time and rest in the good ol’ tradition. There is a reason why the Japanese take such pride and importance in the Tea Ceremony and it’s high time we follow suit, make a brew, and enjoy taking tea.

On that note, I’m off to make a cup of coffee!

Sarah