Happy New Year

New year and a fresh start. The children are back at school, the house is nearly clean and tidy. I'm a bit of a stickler for tradition so the Christmas tree remains until the 12th night.
Lots of new things on the horizon this year. Lunch club will resume in spring, when the daffodils awake, the birds get busy and my vegetable patch gets interesting.
We are also working on a new project which we are really excited about. More details will follow shortly.
For now I am going to go and enjoy this very beautiful blustery sunny day.

It's All So Quiet!

Apologies for the silence but the run up to Christmas is a very busy time for me and I have been busy making in the studio. Although I have a website for my sculptural work I have also set up a blog to keep you updated on forthcoming shows and exhibitions. I have also put up images of available work and jewellery for sale.
http://jasminrowlandson.blogspot.com

It has been incredibly beautiful at Walnut Tree Farm during the big freeze.

Lunch Menu 5th December

Walnut Tree Farm Lunch club

Menu December 5^th

Suggested donation £25

Roasted Onion soup with Gruyere toasts

Twice baked Cheese Soufflé

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Leek & butternut squash cannelloni

Beef stew with herb dumplings

Fricassee of rabbit in cider.

Seasonal vegetables accompany all mains.

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Suffolk blue cheese, pears and walnuts

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Pantone bread and butter pudding

Lemon tart

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Chocolate  truffles

Tea & Coffee.

Children’s Menu.
Kids eat free

Pasta Pomodori and chicken goujons.

Or

 Please choose from the adult’s menu.

The Inaugural Lunch.

Since moving to Walnut Tree Farm we have often fantasized about opening up the house to guests, holding big lunches and offering camping and romantic weekends retreats in the sheperd’s huts in the spring and summer time.  

It is hard to believe that a little over two weeks ago The Walnut Tree Farm Lunch club was just an idea and today it is reality. In two weeks we have set up the blog, spread the word, held the first lunch and are being inundated with enquires and bookings.   
The run up to the first lunch was busy but not hectic thanks to the family lending many helping hands. Friday was spent finishing jobs around the house and shopping. I am pleased to say that on this occasion all of the vegetables, meat and cheese were produced locally.

Saturday was prep day. Titus plucked and cleaned the pheasants. I had the better job of making lavender & thyme white chocolate truffles, coconut and almond dark chocolate truffles, rich chocolate mouse and chicken liver parfait. I couldn’t decide which parfait recipe to use so I made both. One parfait had copious amounts of port and Madeira, cooked slowly in a bain maire. The other parfait consisted of the livers being flambéed in brandy and lots of butter.

Pheasants before Titus got to them

We awoke to beautiful blue skies on Sunday. Had a cup of very strong black coffee and started peeling apples from the garden in-order to make individual apple tarts with lavender and honey cream. It was a good relaxed start to the day and the rest of the day continued in the same manner.

Apple Tarts

Guests began to arrive at 1 and were offered a complimentary glass of fizz and some crab, basil and chilli canapés. Then lunch was served. I did want to take pictures throughout lunch of the happy diners and the food but alas no time. 

Preparing the cheese course & still smiling

 Overall the day went very well. The atmosphere was relaxed and friendly. Conversation and wine flowed. We had great feedback and constructive comments.  Here are a few of them.

“Thank you Jasmin and Titus so much for such a lovely lunch on Sunday. Terry & I had a great time and loved your amazing food. Well done with your new venture and we really hope that it takes off and loads of people come each time. I'm sure they will.

We'll be back!

All best wishes,

Polly Gould”

Hi Jasmin & Titus,

Thank you for a great time on Sunday and a wonderful lunch it was a real pleasure.

Lynda & Mike.

Fantastically enjoyable, long may this continue. Many Thanks”. John and Maggie.

Thank You.

We would like to say a big thank you to all the people that came to the first Walnut Tree Farm Lunch Club.
It was really lovely that so many people from the area came to support our new venture. As we live in a small village most of the diners knew each other which made for a very relaxed informal lunch.
Will post a full write up of the lunch soon.
Thanks again to all who came.

The Road Not Taken

The Road Not Taken    

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim

Because it was grassy and wanted wear,

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I marked the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

Robert Frost

A Barrow Load Of Quinces.

Last year, despite a breathtaking blossom, our quince trees produced a dismal amount of fruit.Their leaves curled in on themselves and at the height of summer the trees were dark and solemn.
Last years cold hard winter seems to have done them the world of good. The tree closet to the house was bent double with the weight of it's  fruit and we are inundated. So much so that instead of making a years worth of membrillo, I am going to pickle, roast and poach.

Titus getting the last of the quince.

A barrow load of quince.

Sunset Over The Common

Rich golden light pouring across the common. The most glorious sunset.

Fruit Harvest

Harvesting the damsons, quinces, and apples from the trees in the garden ready to start making the years supply of fruit cheeses.

Damsons & Quinces

Autumn Days

A sequence of perfect autumnal days this week. Brilliant sunshine with a fresh chill in the air has kept me happily outside.  I have been taking long foraging walks down to Thornham woods with my dog, Hercules. Gathering sloes for sloe vodka, hawthorn berries for haw brandy and crab apples for jelly. 

Hercules disturbing the peace down Cow Pasture Lane

Walnut Tree Farm Lunch Club: Sample Menu For Walnut Tree Farm Lunch Club.

Walnut Tree Farm Lunch Club: Sample Menu For Walnut Tree Farm Lunch Club.

Sample Menu For Walnut Tree Farm Lunch Club.

Walnut Tree Farm Lunch Club.

Sample Menu.

Roasted onion soup, Madeira and Gruyere toasts.

Chicken Liver Parfait

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Slow pot-roasted pheasant with root vegetables and cavolo nero.

Spinach and feta bureks with sultana and pine nut spiced Turkish rice.

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Vacherin, quince cheese, celery, apple and oatcakes.

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Apple Tart Tatin

Crème Caramel

Bread and butter pudding with a marmalade glaze and cinnamon and orange butter

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Homemade chocolate truffles

Water, tea & coffee

The first Walnut Tree Farm Lunch will be held on Sunday the 7^th November.

As it is the inaugural run we will only be catering for 24.

For more information or to book a place, please contact

Jasmin.

jasmin@jasminrowlandson.co.uk