Lobster, Revisited

Hello maties!
Just a quickie from me today but a longie for you - I've just been reading Joanne's comment on my previous crab sarnie post and realised I have never shared with you my all-time favourite recipe, Crab Fettucine.  Well I'm going to have to address that p.d.q.  and, oh heck, I'm going to have to eat it in the process.  What sacrifices I make for YOU!!

So whilst flipping through old posts for a non-existent crab recipe, I stumbled upon this old post (FIND IT HERE) and I'm excited to repeat it here today because,
1.  Its focus is probably my favourite 3-course summer meal EVER (all sooo easy) and,
2.  The synchronicity is uncanny, it tells me that we were clearing the old sheds three years ago almost to the day and the new She-Shed build started yesterday.  It took me a while to replace my Leaning Sheds Of Poutland but I got there, eventually!


Now, please wade through my vintage post, get to the domestic goddess the recipes), and try this for yourself - and if you're not a lover of seafood the lobster can easily be replaced with cooked chicken.



My Post From 28 July 2016, Repeated

Hi peeps, thanks for popping in.  It's been all go here today, what with the shed project, shopping and taking His Royal Fluffiness for his pamper session (a grooming at the local vets).

And then, maybe because I was thinking about sunny days and eating al fresco, maybe I was thinking about the friends I made this meal for here, but anyway, I suddenly remembered I promised you some recipes and I hadn't delivered!  And I'm sorry about that.  So I swiftly got on the case.

Now this is a variation on a meal that I usually turn out at least once during the summer months.  Because it's so simple.  It's inspired by a souvenir cook book I picked up when visiting the Newport mansions on Rhode Island.  What an experience!  Allow at least a day to visit just a few of the many mansions available to view.

Anyway, back to the plot.  The food. 

I've strayed from the recipes and format over the years but I do love the concept. 

An extremely easy meal involving little cooking, a bit of preparation and almost all is done in advance.

And that's really the beauty of this tried-and-tested menu.  When your guests arrive, you look (and feel!) calm and collected.  You can enjoy drinks out on the patio with them, at some stage you drift away from your prosecco to pop into the house to fling a few elements together ...

But you serve a meal that is perfect for a summer's evening, that is a doddle to make yet looks and tastes so professional that you cannot fail to impress your guests.  Whilst relaxing and enjoying their wonderful company.

You just cannot go wrong with this menu!  So please, please, give it a go.

Requirements: prepping in advance; a calm, sunny evening; invite people you love.

Recipes serve approx. 6; warning - you may have leftovers :-)



Herby Goats Cheese Dip

Ingredients

1 roll-pack goats cheese

about half pack cream cheese with herbs

squirt of lemon juice

finely chopped fresh thyme and rosemary, or to taste or to what you have to hand

olive oil

A little salt and pepper if required

Perhaps just a spoon-tip of wholegrain mustard

Method

Mash goats cheese with herby cream cheese, quantities to taste but the ratio I used was roughly equal quantities.

Blend in chopped herbs, a spritz of lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil.

Add a small amount of salt, pepper and/or mustard if required but be light of touch, keep the flavour delicate and predominantly that of the cheese.

Serve

Place in a glass bowl; I just love those little Ikea +365 glass dishes, on the left, so useful, so elegantly simple.

 Serve with bruschetta, bread sticks, oat cakes - whatever takes your fancy.  And I recommend it served with chilled prosecco out on the patio! 



Chilled Lobster Tarragon

Ingredients

2 medium-sized cooked lobsters, cut in bite-sized pieces
(I get mine cooked and shelled from our local Crab Cabin, hope you have something similar near you)

A couple of squirts of fresh lemon juice

2 ribs of celery, very finely chopped

4 spring onions, trimmed lightly top and bottom, chopped

3/4 cup full-fat mayonnaise

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon

sea salt or plain salt and freshly ground pepper, to tase

6 outer leaves from Little Gem lettuce

lemon cut in 6 wedges

Method

Combine the lobster, juice, spring onions and celery in a bowl.

Mix the mayo and tarragon with seasoning then add the lobster mix.

Place in a covered container and pop in the fridge for a few hours.

To serve: place servings on to the lettuce leaves, with the lemon wedge to the side.

To Serve

Boiled new potatoes, local (as I used) or Jersey Royals and sugar snap peas.

Sugar Snap Peas

Ingredients

Sugar snap peas, about a pound (2 bags), washed and trimmed if necessary

Butter, I use Guernsey butter, of course, but use any rich local butter

Finely chopped chives and basil, or whatever you fancy

Method

Add sugar snaps to rolling boiling water for about a minute or so.  Drain and cool under cold running water.  Put to one side until ready to serve.

To serve, gently heat the butter in a pan (do not burn), add the sugar snaps and herbs and warm through.

Serve this dish with a chilled white - I served Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc on this occasion.  V nice.

Mixed Berry Tart

Ingredients

8 ounces mascarpone cheese, softened at room temperature

1/3 cup double cream, chilled

1/4 cup castor sugar

6 tartlet shells, I always get mine from M&S

You need roughly 1 cup each of washed & prepared fresh strawberries and blueberries (or other berries)

1/2 cup apricot jam

2 tablespoons water

Icing sugar, to dust

Method

Beat the cheese, cream and sugar together in a bowl until the usual stiff peaks form.  Divide between the tartlets. 

(Now I usually end up with extra mix, which I keep in the fridge and have with fresh fruit the next day)

Place the fruit on top the mascarpone mix, as artistically or not as your heart desires!

Combine the jam and water in a little saucepan.  Cook slowly until melted and smooth.

Brush over the top of each tart.

Cover and refrigerate until chilled, which at least 2 hours

To serve: dust with the icing sugar.

(Any left over tarts are super for breakfast the next morning.  Trust me!)

And if you are living in our British climate, retire to the sofas indoors for coffee.  (And a little chocolate :-). )  Because it will no doubt be getting a tad chilly by the time you've lingered over this wonderful meal.

And there you have it - a beautifully light summer's evening menu.  Do I make these recipes sound easy?  Well, that's 'cos they are!

I do hope you try out at least one of the recipes, dear reader.  You won't be disappointed.

Do you have any fave summer lunch/supper recipes to share?

Or menus that make entertaining so easy because they can be prepped well in advance?

I'd love to hear.

Happy Thursday to you all.

A la perchoine.

Nails and Tummy Pampering

Hello, dearies.  I gave you heads-up in the previous post that my nails were going to get some Sunday pampering ...

... and here they are, post-pamper.

 

When it comes to the world of manicured nails, I am a neophyte.  A newbie.

My severe gardening "breakages" turned out to be nothing more than lifting nail gel.  That is apparently what it does over time.  Never mind, the tea bag repair exercise was useful.

  I am now all tutti-fruitied up (that's the name of the shade), this time in shellac (there's a difference, though I don't what). 

My impromptu survey yesterday on my patio revealed that 3 out of 3 ladies of diverse ages had worn (2) or were wearing Tutti Fruiti shellac (1) on their nails.  How amazing is that?  I hit on a shade popular with the younger set, for 2 out of the 3 surveyed were some 25 years younger than your researcher of quantative behaviour, a.k.a. Nosy Pout!

Yes, my nails have again been dressed ready for photographs.

Here draped around a wine glass; and here, resting on a dahlia. 
I can almost forget that my fingers are old and arthritic when my nails are tutti-fruitied.

The spa was recommended by DIL.  So nails, done.  On a Sunday.  And that doesn't feel bad.

For the hidden dividend of a Sunday spa visit was that The Photographer popped his head into the salon to tell me he'd booked us in for lunch in the hotel's brasserie.  #didn'texpectthat!
(I'd dressed for a manicure - quick check, yup, reasonably presentable  but who's gonna check out my garb when I'm wearing the Tutti-Fruiti eye magnet?!)

So, the nails and their proud owner were here at The Old Government Hotel and Spa.

 

And they met TP here.



We ate early and the bistro was empty, I expect most want a proper lunch on a Sunday.  Never mind, it felt like we had staff!

The hotel is set in the centre of Town so had rooftop and sea views from the balconies.

I loved the décor of the conservatory and took away a few ideas for my humble abode. 

I did not take away this massive light fitting - I would have to move out to fit this into my conservatory!

Such a tastefully elegant place to eat.  And the added bonus is that piano music wafted softly in from the bar next door.   From the style of playing, I would guess it was a certain Mr Paul Tongs.

I drank coffee as I perused the menu.  Even a simple cup of coffee is served elegantly.



 My eyes wandered around the beautifully decorated conservatory as I menu-browsed.

But were drawn back to my tutti-fruities.  Enough of the nails, Pout!

OK, I'd pretty much made up my mind when I saw Lobster Roll was on the menu, but I perused elegantly anyway, just for show!  Have you become a fan of the Lobster Roll?

We didn't want a full-blown Sunday lunch in one of the hotel's several restaurants, preferring something from the "light" bite conservatory menu, more suited to our pensioner appetites.  A Lobster Roll fits the bill.

Surrounded by a sea of lobster, chips and wine.  How happy am I? 

And I was even happier when I got to the loos!

Yes, I am the sort of gal who takes a camera with her on loo visits. 



And I am the sorta gal who's so happy with the décor that she takes loo selfies.

I loved the fresh simplicity of this cupboard.  I kept returning to it for more shots.

Farewell, powder room!

Do you take photos of hotel and restaurant loos? I hope I'm not alone on this one.

A marble stairway down to the conveniences, with solid brass hand rails.  #loveoghloos

#Iloveoghlightfittings

So, black, gold and white décor.  How I adore that combo.

I finished my crisp sauvignon blanc in the sun on the terrace.

 

On the way back to the car, we stopped by the Police Station (it's OK I wasn't detained!), which is housed in the old Town Hospital, established nearly 300 years ago.

Oh, go on then, just one last Tutti-Fruiti shot, seeing as you've been such a good reader!

A la perchoine 



Super Seafood Suppers, The Overdue Appendix

Hi peeps, thanks for popping in.  It's been all go here today, what with the shed project, shopping and taking His Royal Fluffiness for his pamper session (a grooming at the local vets). 

And then, maybe because I was thinking about sunny days and eating al fresco, maybe I was thinking about the friends I made this meal for here, but anyway, I suddenly remembered I promised you some recipes and I hadn't delivered!  And I'm sorry about that.  So I swiftly got on the case.

Now this is a variation on a meal that I usually turn out at least once during the summer months.  Because it's so simple.  It's inspired by a souvenir cook book I picked up when visiting the Newport mansions on Rhode Island.  What an experience!  Allow at least a day to visit just a few of the many mansions available to view.

Anyway, back to the plot.  The food. 

I've strayed from the recipes and format over the years but I do love the concept. 

An extremely easy meal involving little cooking, a bit of preparation and almost all is done in advance.

And that's really the beauty of this tried-and-tested menu.  When your guests arrive, you look (and feel!) calm and collected.  You can enjoy drinks out on the patio with them, at some stage you drift away from your prosecco to pop into the house to fling a few elements together ...

But you serve a meal that is perfect for a summer's evening, that is a doddle to make yet looks and tastes so professional that you cannot fail to impress your guests.  Whilst relaxing and enjoying their wonderful company.

You just cannot go wrong with this menu!  So please, please, give it a go. 

Requirements: prepping in advance; a calm, sunny evening; invite people you love.

Recipes serve approx. 6; warning - you may have leftovers :-)



Herby Goats Cheese Dip

Ingredients

1 roll-pack goats cheese

about half pack cream cheese with herbs

squirt of lemon juice

finely chopped fresh thyme and rosemary, or to taste or to what you have to hand

olive oil

A little salt and pepper if required

Perhaps just a spoon-tip of wholegrain mustard

Method

Mash goats cheese with herby cream cheese, quantities to taste but the ratio I used was roughly equal quantities.

Blend in chopped herbs, a spritz of lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil.

Add a small amount of salt, pepper and/or mustard if required but be light of touch, keep the flavour delicate and predominantly that of the cheese.

Serve

Place in a glass bowl; I just love those little Ikea +365 glass dishes, on the left, so useful, so elegantly simple.

 Serve with bruschetta, bread sticks, oat cakes - whatever takes your fancy.  And I recommend it served with chilled prosecco out on the patio! 



Chilled Lobster Tarragon

Ingredients

2 medium-sized cooked lobsters, cut in bite-sized pieces
(I get mine cooked and shelled from our local Crab Cabin, hope you have something similar near you)

A couple of squirts of fresh lemon juice

2 ribs of celery, very finely chopped

4 spring onions, trimmed lightly top and bottom, chopped

3/4 cup full-fat mayonnaise

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon

sea salt or plain salt and freshly ground pepper, to tase

6 outer leaves from Little Gem lettuce

lemon cut in 6 wedges

Method

Combine the lobster, juice, spring onions and celery in a bowl.

Mix the mayo and tarragon with seasoning then add the lobster mix.

Place in a covered container and pop in the fridge for a few hours.

To serve: place servings on to the lettuce leaves, with the lemon wedge to the side.

To Serve

Boiled new potatoes, local (as I used) or Jersey Royals and sugar snap peas.

Sugar Snap Peas

Ingredients

Sugar snap peas, about a pound (2 bags), washed and trimmed if necessary

Butter, I use Guernsey butter, of course, but use any rich local butter

Finely chopped chives and basil, or whatever you fancy

Method

Add sugar snaps to rolling boiling water for about a minute or so.  Drain and cool under cold running water.  Put to one side until ready to serve.

To serve, gently heat the butter in a pan (do not burn), add the sugar snaps and herbs and warm through.

Serve this dish with a chilled white - I served Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc on this occasion.  V nice.

Mixed Berry Tart

Ingredients

8 ounces mascarpone cheese, softened at room temperature

1/3 cup double cream, chilled

1/4 cup castor sugar

6 tartlet shells, I always get mine from M&S

You need roughly 1 cup each of washed & prepared fresh strawberries and blueberries (or other berries)

1/2 cup apricot jam

2 tablespoons water

Icing sugar, to dust

Method

Beat the cheese, cream and sugar together in a bowl until the usual stiff peaks form.  Divide between the tartlets. 

(Now I usually end up with extra mix, which I keep in the fridge and have with fresh fruit the next day)

Place the fruit on top the mascarpone mix, as artistically or not as your heart desires!

Combine the jam and water in a little saucepan.  Cook slowly until melted and smooth.

Brush over the top of each tart.

Cover and refrigerate until chilled, which at least 2 hours

To serve: dust with the icing sugar.

(Any left over tarts are super for breakfast the next morning.  Trust me!)

And if you are living in our British climate, retire to the sofas indoors for coffee.  (And a little chocolate :-). )  Because it will no doubt be getting a tad chilly by the time you've lingered over this wonderful meal.

And there you have it - a beautifully light summer's evening menu.  Do I make these recipes sound easy?  Well, that's 'cos they are!

I do hope you try out at least one of the recipes, dear reader.  You won't be disappointed.

Do you have any fave summer lunch/supper recipes to share?

Or menus that make entertaining so easy because they can be prepped well in advance?

I'd love to hear.

Happy Thursday to you all.

A la perchoine.