Well, what an experience that was… A few months ago I decided to put myself forward for the Norfolk Home Chef of the Year award which is part of the Norfolk Food & Drink Awards. Looking back, it was a rather brave move for me, but I did it out of a love of cooking. I… Continue reading Norfolk Home Chef of the Year…
A few weeks ago I harvested a large number of cucumbers from the greenhouse. I was thinking about what I could use them for, aside from salads and pickles, when it suddenly occurred to me that the crisp, clean flavour would lend itself well to an ice cream. My thinking was inspired by a grapefruit and basil ice cream… Continue reading Cucumber ice cream, really?
I was born and raised in Cromer and, for a few years, regularly went out to sea from the town to fish for crab and lobster – so cooking with crab is second nature to me. Each year I’m overjoyed (no exaggeration) when the crab season starts and I make sure I stock up the freezer with crustacea to last… Continue reading Cooking with Cromer crab (and a recipe for crab ravioli)…
Today marks the very first Norfolk Day – venues, producers and residents are coming out in celebration of the county. It got me thinking about the county I call home and why I feel so attached to it. Norfolk for me is all about the coast and countryside – vast stretches of coastline and idyllic inland nooks. The county offers some… Continue reading Why I love Norfolk…
Every year the glut of courgettes hits me with a bang. I always know I’ll have lots (each season I religiously plant four seedlings) and there’s always too many, but for some reason I can’t cut back! To try and tackle the mountain of courgettes that is starting to build, I decided that this year I would try lots of… Continue reading Courgette season (and a recipe for courgette lemon drizzle cake)…
There are particular points in the farming year that bring me a real sense of joy – from the first cut of grass to the first bale of hay, to seeing and hearing the roar of combine harvesters on the fields. When harvest is in full swing there is a real sense of urgency in the… Continue reading Harvest is go…
It’s been a busy few weeks, but then again it always is at this time of the year – aside from the farm, the garden is in full bloom and the veg patch is bountiful which means I’m in my element in the kitchen cooking new dishes with seasonal produce. There are weeds to keep at… Continue reading A month without rain…
As May draws to a close, I’ve realised what a busy month it has been. With long days, warm weather and plenty of enthusiasm, much of it has been spent outside getting the vegetable beds and main garden in order. There’s still lots to do, but progress has been made. May has brought with it… Continue reading May…
I’ve managed to make it to the age of 35 without ever stepping foot inside a hot air balloon basket – it’s probably been a case of not being in the right place at the right time. But now I can claim to have taken flight through the skies of Norfolk in a 16-man balloon. A few weeks… Continue reading Hot air ballooning over Norfolk…
As it’s Sunday, I thought I’d try a more challenging dish to cook using our own beef. For the past seven days I’ve been cooking with different cuts of beef to mark Great British Beef Week. Today I was inspired by a dish I had at Royal Ascot a few years ago when I went… Continue reading Great British Beef Week – Fillet of beef with lobster ravioli
