Weekend : Celebrations, revelations, a missing link and the bees knees :: Oh and pan fried sea bass with puy lentils

There aren't any pictures of windy lanes parting sheep inhabited hills and vales, even though we travelled them. But  there are lots of images of wattle and daub (I think) and timber and stone. My mind was on floors and walls this time, not the countryside...Oh, and of course the food...

It was A's last day at work before we move and my sister B and husband arrived Friday evening to help us celebrate...also to drive my little old car down with us to the new house. She'll wait for me until we move in properly...my car that is, not my sister. The oppressive heat gave way to rain, lovely heavy cooling rain but as we reached our little house after calming our rumbling tummies with a plougman's lunch  here, the rain had subdued and in true Incy-Wincy fashion the sun was shining brightly.

It was the first time we'd shown Corner House to anyone else. It was a bit like introducing a teenage boyfriend to your mates. You think he's the bees knees and don't notice the pimple or the whiskers on his chin. You've seen him (maybe only in your imagination) without either, and have more than a bit, of a crush on him. Even though it doesn't really matter if they love or hate him, you really, truly want everyone else to think he's the bees knees too...

Well I think they can see the attraction...

There was much climbing on things, other than ladders to inspect out of reach corners, banging of walls and pulling off bits of wallpaper to discover what secrets were lying beneath. Our lovely new neighbours and a stone mason friend joined in too. The air was thick with ideas, beams that could be exposed introducing light and space; and revelations, like lovely old wide wooden floorboards that had been hiding under 1970's carpets, possibilities of hidden fireplaces or stoves, and even more excitingly the potential missing link that may confirm definitively, that we share the footprint with our neighbours of a large medieval hall house, that is circa 1430-50. Photo's are going to be sent off to a historian who can hopefully verify this. 

Tons to do...but the infatuation continues...

We suppered here (great Indian food), passing this amazing shop and planned to return soon. 

After a very late Saturday night we woke to brilliant sunshine and fresh produce  and flea market shopping. Bargains were found by everyone including a studio pottery jug and copper coffee pan for the new kitchen. BBQ lunch thanks to A and a pottering afternoon.

Busy weekend...but oh so good...How was yours?
debx

joining karen of pumpkin sunrise to share our weekend




Ps. This is my current favourite quick supper dish that I made Friday evening. I don't think I've shared the recipe before...

Pan fried sea bass with Puy lentils

Ingredients for four generous portions:

• enough sea bass fillets for four people
• two cups of uncooked puy lentils
• six cups of stock or hot water
• three medium sized sweet potatoes
• two medium sized red onions
• a few cloves of garlic
• crushed chilli flakes
• a little ground turmeric
• a little ground coriander and cumin
• a handful of swiss chard or spinach (optional) 
• sea salt and fresh black pepper
• olive and oil and butter 

Method:

1. Peel and finely slice the onions. Cook them with a little olive oil in a heavy bottomed pan until caramelised.
2. Meanwhile peel and cube the sweet potatoes.
3. Peel and crush or finely chop the garlic cloves and add to the caramelised onions, cooking carefully so as to avoid burning.
4. Add the spices and seasoning then cook for a couple of minutes, stirring well.
5. Wash the lentils and drain. Add these to the pot too. Stir well and then add the water or stock. Bring up to the boil, add the sweet potatoes and reduce the heat. 
6. Cook for about twenty minutes or so until the potatoes and lentils are both tender. 
7. If using spinach or swiss chard add in the last few minutes to wilt.
8. Turn off the heat and cover and then quickly pan fry the fish seasoned with a little salt in a  olive oil plus a generous nob of butter. Allow the oil and butter to heat up to a gentle sizzle sound but not burn, then add the fish skin side down. Cook for about two minutes. Turn over and then flash fry on the other side for a couple more minutes. 
9. Drain the lentils and place in the centre of a dish and then place the fish skin side down on top to serve.

This is nice just like this or for a more substantial supper served with new potatoes and green salad or seasonal vegetables. 

weekend Catch-up

The last few weekends have involved extended family gatherings and friend coming to stay. Tasting new unusual food made with dried beans and eggs, from the beautiful countryside by the Caspian Sea where this film was made...

Guzzelling A's yummy Fesanoon, pheasant cooked with walnut and pomegranate sauce, and pasta with prawns and lots of chilli and garlic

Having a girlie day checking out Abingdon's shops for fabric, wool, baking things and charity shops; Throwing Buns for a chai steamer/coffee then Sandford Lock for tea and fruit crumble.

Going home to talk-over films that we pretended to watch whilst comparing knitting styles...'S' wraps the wool around her left index finger and feeds it in, keeping the tension tight, whilst I feed from the right.  We are both fascinated by the way the other knits and can't stop watching...I didn't get a picture of me...

Exchanging skills on Sunday. Teaching S to bake a moist chocolate cake with Hummingbird Brooklyn Blackout cake chocolate custard...which was useful because I realised I'd missed cocoa powder out of the recipe!

S cutting me a fringe...(I must get 'A' to take a photo...)

Finally comparing bargain finds... 

I found a cute little grey hand-thrown pot to keep all the annoying coins that get left in the hall when people empty their pockets. And the lovely terracotta vase, hand-thrown again and I think Italian. Simple but lovely...they now join my little collection of stuff on the hall bookcase. And all for less than six pounds...

oh and S? I got her a little basket to store her ever growing wool collection...but forgot to take a photo...

...a couple of lovely balmy weekends...

...weather and otherwise...

balm·y/ˈbä(l)mē/

Adjective:	(of the weather) Pleasantly warm. Extremely foolish; eccentric: "he's gone balmy".

...but that's me...

I've linked over here today why not check out some other fleamarket finds...

Flea market finds and Caz's Luscious Lemon Yoghurt Cake

I couldn’t resist this cute little 1950’s or 60’s teapot when I spotted it in a charity shop. Especially when I noticed that it was only £4…almost the price of a cup of coffee!

Although I do tend to make a mug and use a teabag...unless I’m making Persian tea...I just had to make myself a tray of tea, and find a cup and saucer when I got home. I even got a milk jug out. I think I miss my pyjama tea breaks with my cute little neighbour, who told me the most amazing stories about her childhood  and is now in residential care. Although I'm going to visit her as soon as my cold is better...I don't want to pass on any germs. 


She would let me make the tea, although insisted that I leave the cups for her to wash, the cups  were china ones and the milk was always in a china jug in the fridge.  It tasted so good, and so did the tea from my new flea market find and it's even a really good pourer...

It was an excuse to have a go at making a luscious lemon yoghurt cake using the bunt pan that was another recent flea market find and it came out perfectly!    This is a really simple recipe with great results a lovely dense but moist cake.  


I think like my foolproof Madeira Cake recipe this is going to be one of my new never fail recipes that I can adapt.  I hope Caz whose recipe this is doesn't mind! I think it would work well as a chocolate and orange cake by substituting some of the flour with chocolate and the fresh lemon juice with orange.  Or coffee would be nice replacing the juice with a cup of espresso...ooh...the possibilities are endless... 

...delicious with lovely creamy Greek yoghurt and mulberry coolie...yum...


I'm linking over to flea market finds here and here today

Flea Market Finds

It’s was the last Sunday carboot sale at Peachcroft Farm before they move to a covered venue for the Autumn.  We arrived as people were packing up to leave.  First find was a cotton John Rocha dress.  I was so eager to try it on that I did so over a sweater, not a wise thing, I didn't notice it was still tied at the back and as you can see I ripped a huge tear in it!!  It does need a little tlc anyway it's obviously been much loved and worn but it was a bargain at £2.

I was given the silver frame for nothing.  

Then bought some John Grisham novels for A.  I was confusing Grisham with John Irving who wrote my favourite Prayer For Owen Meany.  But JG wrote The Pelican Brief and Rainman, so I'm sure these'll be good too. Just £3.50 for five hardbacked books.

Then my best find of all was the tureen in lovely pale grey and white.  I bought it off a lady selling her wears from a horse box...I love riding although haven't been for seven or eight years...but I wasn't very happy when I was told that she goes fox hunting...:o(  


...but she did say I could offer any price for the tureen...and then suggested 50p!!  I would have offered her much more!!  Well you know what they say 'One man's rubbish.....'


I am now planning my Christmas dinner table all grey and white ...just imagine the roast potatoes served from the new tureen...


...oh and last week I found some old Danish silver and white candlesticks in the loft that one of my sister-in-law's gave us when we visited her in Denmark years ago....they would look amazing...


I doesn't matter summers nearly over...roll on Christmas holidays...




I've linked over to Her Library Adventures, so you can check more Flea Market Finds if you like.