Lavender Shortbread

Delightfully heady the scent of lavender is truly uplifting and the plant has made a valuable contribution to well-being for centuries.  In Maggie Tisserand and Monika Juenemann's book "The Magic and Power of Lavender" they state in the introduction how "Ancient medical texts extol its healing powers.  From the history of the Middle Ages we learn that people handling lavender never fell victim to the bubonic plague". In addition to enjoying the beauty of growing lavender and the many uses for lavender essential oil, lavender is also a welcome ingredient in cooking both savoury and sweet, from enhancing roast lamb to baked in cakes and biscuits.  I was inspired by an article in the Saturday Telegraph magazine recently about a couple in Kent who have turned their hop farm into a "lavender paradise".  At the time I didn't have any 'hot' lavender essence to hand, so improvised in making some lavender shortbread and used a proportion of lavender infused caster sugar which worked perfectly well. The end result was delicious, (so much so that by the time I came to take a photo to illustrate my blog there were only three pieces of the original 18 left). Based on William and Caroline Alexander's original recipe, my variation is below and you too may like to try this wonderful taste of Summer:

150g butter (room temperature)
75g caster sugar (I used half lavender-infused caster sugar and half regular caster sugar)
150g plain flour
75g rice flour (really makes a big difference to the texture, so well worth using)
tablespoon of dried or fresh lavender flowers

Heat oven to 150 degrees C / gas mark 2 and line a 27x18cm baking tray with silicone paper.  Cream the butter and sugar, then add the flour, ground rice and lavender flowers.  Combine well and press mixture into the lined tin.  Bake for 30-35 minutes until pale golden colour.  Remove from the oven, sprinkle with extra caster sugar and lavender flowers if desired.  Allow the shortbread to cool in the tin, but whilst still warm cut into fingers. Keep in an airtight tin to retain crispness. 

Apart from being great as it is, the shortbread is an ideal accompaniment to gooseberry fool. I make mine using stewed gooseberries with elderflower cordial, sieved (if you want a smooth texture), then folded into a combination of thick yoghurt and vanilla custard combined. 

Field & Fork at Pallant House Gallery

Some years ago (well the late 1980's to be precise, but that dates me...) there was a memorable advertising campaign by Saatchi & Saatchi promoting the Victoria & Albert Museum in London as "An ace caff, with quite a nice museum attached."  That's very much how I feel about the fabulous Field and Fork restaurant at the Chichester based Pallant House Gallery.  I've been countless times to eat there but never ventured to look around.  Home to an award winning collection of 20th Century British Art, I know there will be lots of interesting things to see.  I shall remedy my neglect by starting with a first visit to the forthcoming special exhibition on Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera (9 July - 2 October).  It looks set to be stunning.

The Field & Fork restaurant is one of those gems which works well at any time of day, whether for coffee and pastries, a tempting lunch menu, tea and cake in the afternoon, or evening dining.  In good weather the courtyard adjacent to the restaurant is an ideal place to relax in the open air, surrounded by London plane trees and sculpture.  All very inspiring.  My lunch choice on Saturday was a taste of Summer on a plate.  Beautifully cooked turbot with pea puree and clams, with a crab stuffed courgette flower displayed as a prize jewel on top.  Delicious and worth sidestepping my usual favourites of crayfish omlette with lobster sauce, or the red mullet open sandwich.  The starters, main courses and desserts are all well put together and reflect the Chef's passion for local, seasonal ingredients - often sourced from F&F's new half acre greenhouse providing the restaurant with the freshest vegetables, salads and soft fruit.  Well worth a special journey (and essential to book to avoid disappointment), I think Field & Fork is the best place to eat in Chichester.  

La Dolce Vita

Residents living near Sheen Lane, London, SW14 are lucky indeed to have such a fabulous authentic Italian restaurant on their doorstep.  I met a friend for dinner on Thursday evening at the recently opened Zia Pia and really enjoyed the wonderful menu.  The choice changes weekly and if I lived locally I'd have to go regularly, so as not to miss out.  It's rare to eat at an Italian restaurant in the UK and feel transported to Italy.  The menu is relatively simple, based on excellent, seasonal ingredients which are well prepared to showcase their natural flavour.  After our aperitivo of Prosecco served with minted pea crostini, we shared an incredibly fresh whole burrata (the king of buffalo mozzarella cheese with a creamy but firm texture and soft centre).  Served with capers, anchovies and a superb salsa verde with toasted ciabatta, this was a heavenly combination.  Usually I'm not a fan of antipasti but the selection at Zia Pia converted me and included salads with rocket, grated carrot and date, along with slow roasted red peppers, tomato, and fennel, plus two different types of salami served with a dish of mostarda di frutta, not forgetting the black olives.  We then progressed to Spaghetti Vongole which was less than half the price and infinitely better than the rather dry version served at the renowned Bentley's in Swallow Street, London, which I'd experienced two days before (£7.50 at Zia Pia compared to £18 at Bentley's).  It transpires the two restaurants use the same fish supplier.  We'd also ordered a special dish from the blackboard of Melanzana Parmigiana - a gratin of baked aubergine in tomato sauce, which had been slow cooked so that it virtually melted in the mouth.  Dessert was a home made (in the good sense) polenta cake served with a blood orange compote and cinnamon mascarpone.  Having asked advice on the best white wine to accompany the meal, the recommended Santa Barbara from Le Marche region of Italy, made from the Verdicchio grape, was the perfect choice.  The appeal of going to the regular wine events which pair a different wine with each course is tempting to say the least.  The next evening is on Wednesday 15th June and at £45 per head offers real value for money.  As a complete Italophile I'm very happy to have enjoyed the delights of eating at Zia Pia and look forward to returning.  If you're looking for a relaxed, sensibly priced neighbourhood restaurant, serving unpretentious delicious food and an inspired selection of interesting wines, the chances are you'll be besotted by Zia Pia too.  Buon Appetito! 

Gordon in Thailand

The "Land of Smiles" charmed Gordon Ramsey on the final leg of his "Great Escapes" culinary adventures in South East Asia, televised in the UK on Monday evening, even though on one occasion he exclaimed "I don't think they know who I am!"  No Gordon, why should they.  British chefs do not have the global reach you may expect and similarly we weren't to know Thailand's equivalent, Chef McDang, who has filled far more prime time television hours with his weekly show.  When challenged if he was a real chef or a TV chef, McDang confirmed he is the real version.  As luck would have it they tied in a draw with their cook-off, so both were happy.  Sparring aside this last programme in the series gave a wonderful insight to Thai food, even though Gordon only had a week to master the intricacies of the balance between salty; sweet; and sour - all combined in a base paste as the foundation to all dishes.  From trying to master handling slippery sausage casing with the Queen of the spicy sausage in Northern Thailand, to fishing for oysters off the Krabi coast in the south, Gordon did actually admit it was a "privilege for him to be there."  From having the chance to participate in a house blessing ceremony, to attempting to learn meditation skills from a Buddhist monk, Gordon experienced a side of Thailand which will provide much food for thought for a very long time to come.