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Duke of Wellington East Horsley

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A re-imagined gastro pub with a creative menu and wine list, fantastic service and stylish décor, just a ten minute drive from Guildford. Expect delicious food, regular events such as live music, themed dinners and local socials for neighbours.

When I was invited to try the menu at this pub, which is part of the Peach Group I didn’t hesitate. With just two pubs in their growing collection in Surrey their portfolio includes another eighteen (many of them recently acquired) and all in market towns such as Oxford, Warwick and Birmingham. The other Surrey location is The Richard Onslow in Cranleigh, and it’s a favourite of mine .

Since I have lived in Guildford this pub had been crying out for new lease of life. It was a pretty run down and then it was reinvented with a BBQ themed menu. Poor reviews and a very American BBQ menu kept most of us away. Then in 2016 Peach took over. This is a business with a solid understanding of what ingredients you need to make a pub successful. They set to work and with a refurbished interior, creative menu with a mix of traditional and contemporary dishes on the seasonal menu and customers started to roll back in. Add to this a mix of local and imported beers, wines, spirits and real ales and the customer magnet has been switched back on.

What really sets this business aside is the staff, welcoming, helpful and professional its a totally refreshing element of the on site experience. In addition they all seem to really enjoy their jobs in an industry that is well known for long hours and low pay. Its no surprise that out of the ten awards on their website that five are for their employment practices. The Sunday Times ranked them at forty-five in their top 100 companies to work for last year.

The food here is fresh, beautifully presented from ingredients sourced locally and nationally. Head Chef Nic Baba embraces the seasons and although I ate from the spring menu the current summer menu ticks all the boxes too. They share the same core values of healthy eating (an important ethos on the menu) so expect to find plenty of fresh vegetables with your meal too. Sharing boards, hearty salads, extras to add to customise your plate and daily specials form the menu style here. Meat is from top butchers Aubrey Allen who also supply free-range chicken, Cornish lamb and free-range pork from Jimmy Butler. Known as the butcher to the stars you know that poultry, beef and pork here is going to be top notch.

We kicked off our meal with a modern take on a retro prawn cocktail and some ham croquettes served with a spiced tomato chutney. The cocktail was layered for effect and the combination of guacamole, prawns, tomato salsa and crunchy lettuce paired with some crunchy tortilla was delicious (an idea I have since copied for entertaining). The croquettes arrived piping hot with a spicy tomato chutney and local Secretts salad leaves. Crunchy on the outside and creamy and smoky in the middle it was the perfect start to our meal. Mains included pan-fried sea bass on a generous stack of new potatoes and tender stem broccoli and a super food salad with a extra of poached salmon. The fish was fresh and crispy ( source from Brixham day boats) and the accompanying vegetables and sauce without fault. The salad had a deliciously lemony zingy dressing and the perfect balance of pulses, leaves and grated vegetables. No feeling there that you were a second rate diner by choosing a salad plate so this gets a high score in my book.

Deserts had to be the lemon tart, a staple on menus in the 1990’s and an intriguing apple panna cotta. The lemon tart had a caramelised top, which gave way to an intensely lemony creamy filling on a light short buttery pastry – stunning. The panna cotta was really unusual with an apple jelly layer on top of the cream element. Freshly poached apple was served as a garnish. It felt lighter and good for you than I would have expected which is always a plus. We ended with fresh mint tea.

The food here is excellent and a credit to the Peach Group for creating another venue in Surrey that should be on your go to list.

01483 282 312

Guildford RD, East Horsley, Leatherhead, KT24 6AA

www.dukeofwellingtoneasthorsley.co.uk

 

Etherley Farm

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Etherley Farm, Leith Hill Lane, Ockley, Surrey, RH5 5PA

The upside: Ethically reared poultry and meat from a well run rural business with provenance.

The downside: Don’t expect a picturesque arrival this is a working farm.

The flipside: You can buy direct from the farm shop or from any of the markets they attend and several independent food retailers.

Driving to Etherley Farm near Dorking in the Surrey Hills is an adventure through some of the most beautiful countryside this county has to offer. As you arrive on the farm you can see open fields that are home to chicken, ducks, geese, turkey and sheep. There is nothing fancy here just a good old-fashioned farm slowly raising their stock in a healthy, natural environment. Sheep are a newer addition here and are the only animals not slaughtered on site for the butchery. Lamb, hogget and mutton are all available in season and much loved by their growing band of customers who love the quality and provenance of the products here. The fact that you can see the animals outside and how healthy they are is a big plus too.

I discovered Etherley farm through my friends over at Village Greens Farm Shop in Ockley. Just around the corner from their Coles Lane shop they directed me to Charlie (who heads up the team here) who not only sells direct to the public from the small butchery and produce shop, but also via a few retail outlets and farmers market (such as Ockley Farmer Market) in the county too. In addition they also supply some of the top restaurants in Surrey . At the time of writing Etherley Farm duck is on the menu at Michelin Star Chef, Steve Drakes new venture, Sorrel in Dorking.

Etherley Farm started life as a dairy farm in 1958 and continued to produce milk up until 2001. By that time membership of the EU and a common market policy saw a decline in the price paid for milk. In the years leading up to this, Richard (Charlie’s Husband) had already started producing poultry to supplement the farms dwindling income. Like many farmers they decided to pull out of milk production when the cost of producing it became higher than the price paid. Sadly they sold their dairy herd and started to get serious about rearing birds instead. It was around this time that Charlie and Richard got married and while he looks after the livestock Charlie runs the shop and does the markets. On the farm year round you will find chickens, ducks, geese and sheep. They have laying birds for eggs and birds destined for the table. In July 1,000 young turkeys arrive to live outside on the farm in a massive field to slowly mature for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

My first visit to Etherley Farm was around five years ago. At that time the farm shop was a shed with a couple of freezers in it. Not very appealing but because I had already sampled their chicken from Village Greens I knew it was really great quality with depth of flavour and texture. Thanks to a grant from Rural Surrey Leader they have been able to convert a derelict farm building into a new toilet and shower block for their campsite and add a new farm shop and on site butchery. This has allowed the farm to grow its core business and expand their range of products offered to the public. In addition to whole and jointed birds they offer a lovely range of prepared products such duck sausages, chicken , duck and turkey burgers. The duck sausages are apparently delicious with mash and sweet and sour red cabbage.

Their ethos is one of simplicity, with low intensity, low stocking rates and the minimal amount of additives to ensure healthy stock. Ducks (including laying ducks), turkeys and geese arrive as day old chicks and spend the first few weeks in their brooder and airy barns to develop and be strong enough to go outside. Both types of our chickens (laying and eating) arrive when they are a bit older. However, all the animals have the opportunity to roam around the fields. The turkey, geese and ducks here are really top end and its no wonder that they supply many local award winning butchers and restaurants too.

The newest addition to the farm, are sheep, a flock of 61 North of England Mules and two rams. Grass fed, they are outside all year round, apart from a short period during the lambing season when they need to be indoors for monitoring and extra food. Their aim is to finish the lambs on grass only which is always perceived to be the optimum process, however sometimes they may feed them for a short period of time to ensure a quality finish to the resulting meat. Some of the animals are kept beyond one year to produce hogget and mutton, which has seen a revival in the last few years. Cooked a little slower the meat is delicious and full flavoured.

All slaughter of poultry is done on the farm, which means the animals only have a short distance to travel, reducing the stress on the bird. All the butchery, plucking, preparation, making of sausages and burgers and packaging is also carried out onsite. Sheep however are taken to a local abattoir and then returned, to be butchered. One of the quality aspects of their turkeys, Charlie explained is that they dry pluck the birds which takes longer but extends the shelf life allowing the birds to be hung (like beef) for the flavour and texture to develop. Battery turkeys will be wet plucked (quicker) reducing shelf life and increasing water content making the meat dryer once its cooked.

Turkey’s Charlie says, make great pets, as they are very sweet and inquisitive birds. I asked her if she got attached to them and she laughed and said they have a built in death wish! Apparently they will eat anything that they see which could be bit of plastic, string or fabric, which often get blown onto the farm. The team have to diligently remove all items on a daily basis or run the risk of a fatality as they have an inability to deal with anything getting caught in their throats. So when it comes to doing the deed and getting them ready for Christmas Orders it’s a sigh of relief all round.

In addition to Village Greens you can also buy Etherley Farm birds from several award winning butchers in Surrey too, the list is on the website (details below).They also attend Ockley Farmers Market which started in March 2107 and is on the first Sunday of each month.

Why not support your local independent producer this Christmas by buying the main attraction of your celebration dinner directly from them. It’s a decision that has winners at both ends of the transaction.

Tel. 01306 621500

enquiries@etherleyfarm.co.uk

www.etherleyfarm.co.uk

Thai style Tomato & Chili Jam

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I make a batch of this versatile relish every Christmas for canapés , cheeseboards and spicing up leftovers ! It’s a lovely hot spicy sweet concoction that is as good in a fried egg sandwich or on a gorgeous cheese board. This jam was featured in the Sugar Club Cookbook by Kiwi chef Peter Gordon who in the early 1990’s bought his brand of fusion cooking to London. He is still cooking up a storm at Providores his own restaurant in Marleybone High Street in London. I tweaked his original recipe to feature some of my favourite ingredients. Be sure to use proper Asian fish sauce not a supermarket own label which doesn’t deliver on flavour. On its own fish sauce smells pretty awful but it’s the essence of many Asian dishes and an absolute winner here!

Download a print version of the recipe Thai Chili and Tomato Jam here.

500g fresh vine tomatoes
4 medium size red chilies remove tough stalk and roughly chop
4 cloves garlic, peeled
50g fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
30ml Asian fish sauce
300g coconut or palm sugar
100ml red wine vinegar
1 bunch green onions, washed & finely chopped

Method

Wash and roughly chop the tomatoes.

Puree half the tomatoes with the chilies, garlic, fresh ginger and fish sauce in a blender until smooth (the tomato seeds contain pectin and help the jam to set)

Pour the puree into a thick based saucepan and add the sugar and vinegar, bring to the boil slowly, stirring frequently.

Add the remaining tomatoes and green onions. Simmer the mixture over a really low heat for 1.5 hours skimming off any foam that develops. Stir regularly making sure the jam does not get stuck on the sides or base of the pan.

Towards the end of the cooking time prepare a jar to store. * Either 1 large (I litre) or a couple of smaller will do. Place a shallow dish in the oven set on low with about 2-3 cm of cold water in the base. Place the jars and lids in the dish and leave in the oven for 8-10 minutes. Pour the jam into the warm jars and cool to room temperature. When cool seal the jars and store in the refrigerator. The jam will keep for 3-4 months.

If you are making this for gifts use 6 smaller jars.

Waters Edge Dine at the Wetlands Centre Horsell

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Heather Farm , Horsell Common, GU21 4XY

The upside: Delicious, locally sourced and well executed food

The downside: If it’s busy service can be slow because everything is made fresh to order!

The flipside: A lot of the food here comes from the proprietors own farm and is picked within hours of arriving at your table!

Newly opened in January 2016 this venue is located just outside Woking in Surrey. Woking isn’t a particularly attractive town although improvements to the centre recently have improved it dramatically. However just a five minute drive away takes you into some quite spectacular countryside and Horsell Common is no exception. A new wetlands centre opened with a café on January 9th and news spread fast of its peaceful atmosphere, dog friendly policies and its wonderful café. The area around the wetland has been set up with decking and paths making it easy for buggies and mobility scooters unless their has been a lot of rain as it gets muddy. I enjoyed it so much that I have been back three times mainly because the setting and the food is fabulous but also because I have been trying to interview Chef Aneke Spacie. Busy managing a young family, a new eaterie opening at the Lightbox Gallery in Woking and her current café we had to resort to a telephone conversation in the end, which filled in the gaps.

view-accross-water-edge-dine

Like you, I am used to going to some pretty gorgeous places here and abroad only to find the café serves mediocre food, fizzy drinks and deep-fries anything unfortunate enough to make its way into the kitchen. Not here though – the food ethos, menu and hospitality is as close to my idea of a perfect venue as you can get. Organic, locally sourced, thoughtfully cooked and presented, it’s delightful, refreshing and sustainable too. Before children came along this highly skilled chef built up an enviable CV working for McClaren, the Ivy, British Airways, Harrods and Sotheby’s. Running her own catering company in Surrey she built on this experience and a successful pop up at the Lightbox last year sealed a contract to take over the catering there too.

its-what-we-do-waters-edge-dine

Waters Edge Dine is Aneke Spacie’s first solo restaurant and within just a few months she has a hardcore following of diners who love the menu, cooking style and dedication to healthy sustainable eating. Here the mantra is to buy food with thought, cook with care, use less wheat and meat, buy local, serve just enough and create minimal waste. Food is presented in such an attractive way too and whilst it’s not fine dining London style you have a sense that your meal is going to be really good for you (tea time cakes not included here).

On my first visit my daughter came with me and at this point it was just to get a sense of what the venue was all about. It was just after 3pm and although the kitchen had just closed for the lunchtime service we were still able to order. Choosing a spicy Welsh rarebit with a free-range hen’s egg and then a couple of mugs of tea we took a seat. When the food arrived it was on a wooden board which looks great but isn’t practical as the runny egg without some control would have rolled right over the edge. I happen to think plates are really the obvious choice as  they retain their heat and control the food. However in the subsequent visits I have made here it is the only criticism I could possibly muster up in addition to the fact that as seating is limited inside they could particularly in poor weather outgrow their space fast.

food-trio-waters-edge-dine

A week later after deciding to write about Waters Edge I took a fellow writer for lunch. He was over from Taipei where we had worked together and it was the perfect venue. We had a barmy English summers day to share and it was a far cry from our last lunch together eating stinky tofu in Shenkeng, a suburb of Taipei where one street of restaurants is dedicated to the consumption of fermented tofu. This time our menu was based on good nutrition, provenance, budget and balance and we loved it. I had pan fried wild mushrooms on toast (£7.50) with Parmesan, truffle dressing and wild rocket while Richard had the house burger (£10.50) with cheddar (Wookey Hole) smoked bacon, salad and tomato relish with home fries. Aneke bought the food to our table on this occasion and shared some useful information with us (if I had realized she was so busy I would have delved deeper). Some of the mushrooms had she told us come from the farm, which they top up with those from their local vegetable supplier, the truffles were from the estate (Surrey surprisingly is not bad for truffle hunters) and the meat from a local farm. We loved our food as both dishes were satisfying, delicious and had an understated feel good factor. The setting of course overlooking the wetland adds to the overall sense of wellbeing. Nearby diners had selected roasted pork belly and a huge bowl of soup, which looked exceptional too. Next time.

cake-trio-waters-edge-dine

To finish we ordered drinks and cake. They have a substantial range of home-made and bought in sweet treats here (from a local bakery) such as chocolate dipped flapjacks to large cutting cakes. Choose from red velvet, chocolate with salted caramel, carrot and coffee. Gluten free options include orange and polenta cake too. For children there is also an option to buy and decorate your own gingerbread person with a plate of sprinkles and writing icing. Coffee here is barista style and tea comes in large mugs with a tea-bag, which you can recycle in the glass jar provided. What a great idea.

If you are interested in how the Wetland Centre came into being you can find out more about the Horsell Preservation Society, their other sites and the fantastic work they do here www.horsellcommon.org.uk.

Its child friendly here too with buckets of crayons, a lego corner and teepees to set up outside. For dogs water is provided and towels for those that end up in the water! Dogs on leads are allowed inside but must be kept on a tight leash by owner. As this is a wetland to encourage wildlife there are strict rules for dog walking on the site. Please check the website before you visit if you are bringing a dog with you.

01483 726556

www.surreywatersedge.com

 

 

Banana Scones

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Makes 8 scones

banana-scones-6x9

When you have a sad looking single banana in the fruit bowl this is the perfect rescue recipe. I have never served these to kids who didn’t like them or adults for that matter. Perfect with home-made fruit packed jam and a dollop of something creamy (I often use half fat creme fraiche or Greek yogurt).

Ingredients

50g softened butter, cut into small pieces
200g fine plain stoneground flour and a little extra for rolling out
1 teaspoon baking powder
50g golden caster or coconut sugar
25ml semi-skimmed milk
1 medium free-range egg, beaten
1 medium ripe banana, peeled and mashed

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 200ºC / 180ºC fan / gas mark 6. In a mixing bowl rub the butter into the flour, using your fingertips, until it resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar. Mix the milk and egg with the mashed banana. Pour the egg mixture into the mixing bowl and mix to form a dough (it will be quite soft – so handle with care). Roll the dough gently on a floured work surface and cut into 8. Place the scones on a greased or lined baking tray and bake for 10 minutes.

Delicious served with berry jam and cream

 

Spiced Chicken and Spinach Tray-bake

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There is nothing better for a midweek meal that throwing a load of chopped veggies in a tray with some seasoning. Ever since reviewing Sarah Lazell’s lovely spice mixes I have been adding the mixes she kindly gave me into lots of the dishes I have been cooking. And to great effect!

We served this dish with basmati rice but it would also work well with mash or new potatoes. The spices work beautifully with the vegetables and chicken thighs and was a huge hit with my crew. I particularly like the awesome pepper mix here as its punchier than regular but adds flavour layers rather than heat to a dish.

chicken with spices

Serves 4 

Download a print friendly pdf of the recipe Spicy Chicken and Spinach traybake

8 skin on free range chicken thighs, scored diagonally with a sharp knife

2 dessertspoons olive oil

4 teaspoons of just one more thing spice mix (sub smoked paprika if you don’t have this)

½ tsp awesome pepper (sub freshly ground black pepper)

3 red onions, roughly sliced

1 large red pepper, deseeded and roughly sliced

1 large yellow pepper, deseeded and roughly sliced

1 pack of baby spinach leaves, washed and drained

Some freshly cooked basmati rice to serve

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/ Fan 160°C/Gas 4-5.

First prepare the chicken by placing in a large bowl. Drizzle over 1 spoon of the olive and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of spice mix. Rub the oil and spices into the chicken and place on a plate. Add the rest of the oil and spice mix plus the pepper to the bowl and toss in the chopped vegetables apart from the spinach. Put the vegetables onto a roasting tin and top with the chicken. Roast for 25-30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and lift off the chicken. Place the spinach on top and give it a little mix. Put the chicken back on top of the spinach and return the tray to the oven for a further 10 minutes then serve with rice.

spice range little spice9x7

 

Sally Iddles Fabulous Food

Catering company, corporate events, event caterer, Food producers, functions, Restaurant consultant, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A food consultant and caterer who teams creative prowess with exuberant energysally and suke

The Main Event: Restaurant menu development and gorgeous food for events.

Tips: Need a forkful of inspiration for your menu? Give Sally a call!

Sally and I first met at Sainsbury’s when she was a development chef in the late 1990’s. After we both relocated to Surrey we often bumped into each other at events where Sally was catering. Her food is always beautifully presented but also scores on taste because she has a knack of teasing the most out of simple high quality ingredients. She achieves this by adding seasonings such as dukkah, sumac, infused oils and freshly roasted spices, nudging her food up the scale. Her style is unique and it makes you realise how many eateries are happy to go along with ‘safe’ offerings that fail to impress. Sally proved that with tweaks here and there a menu can be transformed from simple into special. Her ability to come up with new menu items is impressive too and her background (Waitrose and Sainsbury’s) also means that she has a keen eye on profit margins. Keeping up with new food trends is essential and her knowledge of new openings, current food writers and supermarket product development helps immensely.

elizas breakfast trio

I got to see Sally at work first hand this week. Suke Wibaut from ‘Butter and Cream’ cakes has recently taken over Elizas’s Tea Room at Secretts in Milford. A busy lady with a shop in Milford, a long list of private orders and a market stall at North Street Guildford, Suke realised she needed a hand. Sally just happened to pop in and the result was a ‘brief’ to revamp the menu for Elizas’s. The menu, loved as it is by regulars, doesn’t reflect the area’s changing demographic and Suke also wants to cater for a younger more discerning clientele. I went to take the photographs for Sally and afterwards Suke and I had, unexpectedly, learnt so much I felt privileged to have been there.

elizas_soups

The brief doesn’t end in Sally’s kitchen. As part of the service she offers to go and work with restaurant teams in-house. This helps them to feel confident in delivering their new dishes consistently. There is nothing worse than eating a delicious meal that isn’t the same next time around.

Sally also gets involved with lots of different event work in Surrey and a few months ago I met her at a fundraiser where she donated her skills to Disability Challengers. This pop-up dinner and auction successfully raised over £16,000 for the charity. Many of the events catered for are weddings but Sally also does corporate work such as a launch for the new vintage sparkling rose wine at Greyfriars Vineyard here in Surrey.

eliza_salad_tea

In our work we go to many restaurants and cafes that seem happy to offer the same food as elsewhere. Given that many of the residents of Surrey have either moved from London or work there, it would be really good to see more of the Capital’s creative cuisine filter into this area. We love local food especially if it is creatively cooked and well presented with original dressings on salads plus innovative use of herbs and seasonings. The new menu at Eliza’s incorporates all those elements and I am looking forward to the launch.

If you know of a menu out there that needs a hoist into this decade, Sally’s contact details are listed below.

http://sallyiddles.co.uk/

07702 224873

 

Treacles Tea Shop

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The Green, Chiddingfold, GU8 4TUafternoon tea at treacles in Chiddingfold

An elegant tea-shop serving homemade classics with provenance

Go there for: Overfilled sandwiches, gorgeous cakes and afternoon tea.

Avoid: Not ordering afternoon tea in advance if you want the full monty.

Is it worth the calories?: Go for a walk first and earn a guilt-free treat.

Tips: Check out the cards and shabby chic home accessories.

It was a delight to learn that this reincarnation of the uninspiring Green Room has been choreographed by Tracey Honeysett. She trained at Westminster College and her impressive CV includes time as a pastry chef at a London’s Mayfair hotel and ownership of a Michelin starred restaurant in Surrey. More recently Tracey launched the menu at the Hothouse Café at the Medicine Garden, Cobham. This café now boasts a stylish interior, and you can pick up a tasteful selection of home-wares and greeting cards.

With a small on-site kitchen there is a manageable sandwich and panini menu using some local ingredients. Tracey bakes most of the cakes at home, supplementing these with cup cakes from Butter and Cream in Milford. Bread is delivered each day from  Bread of Heaven in Haselmere ; ham and other meats come from Black Barn butchers at Secretts. Coffee is from artisan roasters Coffee Real (ethically sourced and expertly cupped) and a great selection of teas and soft drinks complement the menu.

ham sandwichWe visited on a warm day so we sat outdoors overlooking the green. Indoors we noticed a group of ladies enjoying a full afternoon tea. Served on a dramatic cake stand were macaroons, crustless mini sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and madeleines. I chose a more modest ham sandwich on granary bread: overfilled, fresh and packed with salad, it was robust and hearty but I couldn’t resist asking for a spoon of homemade spicy tomato chutney on the side. A perfect addition, this lent a piquant nudge to the palate. I was also tempted by the hummus and char-grilled peppers (£5.75) and egg mayonnaise made with free-range eggs (£4.50) from Hallgate Farm in Sussex. My son’s hot sausage sandwich (£5.00) disappeared so fast I only managed to get a picture of half of it but he assured me it was on a par with the best. We shared a slice of carrot cake (£2.50); it was moist and spicy and I think Paul and Mary would have struggled to find fault. When Tracey is busy villagers supplement her cakes with their home-baked offerings: she says the coffee and walnut cake is a big hit.

treacles_trio

Service here is friendly and efficient and the achievable menu won’t disappoint. Tracey is keen to experiment and develop the menu but is taking it slowly: she wants to get into the groove before doing any serious marketing. Already discovered by cyclists, this café is a jolly good reason to stop off in Chiddingfold.

treacles_tea_shop_exterior_9x6

01428 684859

Facebook page

No website at present

Text and images Shirlee
Text and images Shirlee

Luscious lemon and courgette cake

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(makes 12 generous portions)

This moist veg packed cake is adaptation of Flora’s famous courgette cake featured in Nigella Lawson’s ‘How to be a domestic goddess’. I added lemon zest to the cake mix to give it a citrus kick and tweaked some of the ingredients to fit our food ethos for the Pop up Café we ran in June. This is a great way to use a glut of courgettes when you have run out of savoury ideas and freezes beautifully (un-iced). We sourced our courgettes from Village Greens in Ockley who grow their own. I wanted a more substantial layered cake than the original recipe so increased the amounts given. You can bake this in three tins to give you an extra filling layer if you prefer. Courgettes release water when they are grated so make sure you squeeze them as dry as you can on kitchen towel otherwise it will make the cake mixture too wet. I used some dried cornflower petals to decorate this cake which Jane had bought me as a gift from a range on offer at Secretts farm shop in Milford. A healthy and natural alternative to sprinkles they look stunning.

Ingredients Courgette and lemon cake

185ml sunflower oil

3 free range eggs

225g castor sugar

350g self-raising flour

1 tsp of baking powder

The zest of 2 organic un-waxed lemons (juice for the icing)

90g  raisins, soaked overnight in water

375g courgettes, topped tailed and finely grated

For the icing

400g full fat cream cheese (beware low fat doesn’t work here as it breaks down and goes runny)

200g icing sugar

Juice of 1-2 lemons

Dried cornflower petals to decorate and freeze dried raspberry (optional)

Lemon Curd to fill about half a 350g jar

Method

Pre-heat the oven to Gas mark 4/ 180°c /fan 160°c. Line or grease 2 or 3 round 22cm baking tins.

  1.  Place the oil and eggs and sugar in the mixing bowl of an electric stand mixer or use an electric hand whisk and beat until pale and creamy.
  2. Combine the flour and baking powder and fold into the egg mixture.
  3. Now fold in the lemon zest, courgettes and raisins. Divide the mixture between the three lined tins and bake in pre-heated for 30 minutes.
  4. Leave for 5 minutes then remove from the tins and allow to cool on a rack.
  5. Meanwhile make the icing by combining the ingredients until smooth, chill until required.
  6. Place the first layer on a serving platter and spread with lemon curd. Repeat this with the second and third cake leaving the top un-iced.
  7. Using a palette knife spread the cream cheese icing on the top and sides of the cake. Sprinkle the top with petals or a decoration of your choice.

cornfower petals _duo

Text and images Shirlee
Text and images Shirlee