Tuesday ,Tuesday

#tuesdaythoughts what does Tuesday mean to you. My #Tuesday was #ᴛᴇɴᴅɪɴɢ to my #roses, picking #Trays of raspberries from the #garden , #Thoughtful #guests , then #Time for #Tea at the #thestarinharome with little #treasures Tucked in the Wall and to #Talk to old friends. My Tuesday was a good day #thankyou Hope yours was as good

I know a place which you will never forget -trust me -

I know a place which you will never forget -trust me - when I attend marketing meetings, we are told only to tell customers so much. Tempt them to come and then tell them the rest. This is good advice most of the time. On this occasion it would be completely unfair not to tell locals and other people who have never had the experience where it is . Okay you may read this and stay well yes we take Anna's advice and we will stay there too. In normal circunstances I would be a bit miffed, but if you do all I can say is if you do enjoy it . The people who own it and those who work there are so kind to me. If I cant repay the favourite now and again it all gets a bit one sided. I will tell you at the end, if you havent already guessed where it is. I have been going here for over 50 years now and seen landlords come and go. - clue no 1. The present owner has just celebrate 27 years of running this fine place. Fine indeed it holds a Michellin star. Situated just outside Helmsley on the edge of the North Yorkshire Moors. It is essentially an Inn with Rooms serving ‘modern Yorkshire’ food made primarily from locally-sourced seasonal ingredients, such as local game, North Sea fish and fresh herbs from its own kitchen garden. Wines and beers are carefully selected to compliment the dining menu, whilst service is knowledgeable, but friendly. Add to this the atmosphere of an Inn with hospitality steeped into its very timbers for a proper treat. So then it is to decide what to have. The other lunch time I had the market menu and Jack opted for dishes from the menu. I was in such a laid back mood I didnt want to go through the menu thinking oh yes I would like that, oh no I think this sounds amazing, but oh wow this is just up my street .I left it for the chef to decide the menu of the day for me. Then Jack had forgotten his specs so I had to go and choose for him. He was very pleased with what he ate, so I think I made the right choice. After we ordered it wasnt long before some warm spelt bread came with baked salted breadsticks which must have been 2 foot long. Accompanied with olive oil,balsamic and whipped Triple Cheese with herbs. Give me bread and I am happy. My starter was East Coast Mackeral -that was so fresh it just melted in my mouth .It was served with Elderflower, Pickled Gooseberries and cucumber and pineapple sorbet. Typing this reminds me, I wonder what my gooseberries are doing. I will have to take a look. Gooseberries were once a forerunner of rhubarb They seem to have be lost in the rhubarb fenzey which when I was young it was just boring old rhubarb. As children we used to watch with intent as they rose up through the straw in the old chimney pots my Grandad sat over them to encourage them to grow longer stalks. Then my friend Derrick and I used to have rhubarb fight using them as if they were swords ... weird children that we were back in those days. And sometime I used to walk about with a large rhubarb leaf on my head as if it was a hat fit for Ascot. The drawback was they did wilt pretty quickly. Sorry I have diversed from our food. Jack, I felt would like the Signature Dish established in 1996 of which clue 2 is a book title - "Black Pudding and Foie Gras . I actually am the lucky owner of one of these books as I understand they are now out of print. The Chef wrote another book which you can buy is called Loose Birds and Game. A multi-award-winning Game cookbook which includes stunning flavour combinations and recipes for Poultry, Game and Fish served at the Michelin-starred inn is certainly worth buying. Jacks' starter was Grilled Black Pudding and pan fried Foie Gras with Pickering Watercress ,Apple and Vanilla Chutney and a Scrumpy Reduction. For my main course it was a Yorkshire chicken skewer with a mango ,chilli and coriander salsa I am not really a fan of corinder as I always think it taste a bit like soap but it wasnt "soapy" at all. Who ever had put this together made it look so pretty it was certainly a work of art - food porn .... or did I mean Pern food clue 3 Jacks' main was something very special Skrei Cod ,now this is not any old piece of Cod -this is fished from the deepest waters above Norway. I just had to try it to say I had had Skrei - how glad I did -it was amazing. It was served with Whitby crab ,Earth baked Jersey Royals,White Asparagus,Coastal Herb pickings and a Black Truffle sauce. When I saw the word Whitby I thought back to when I was in my 20s when ..here come clue 4the landlord used to say "Whitby ,My Beloved Whitby" - he was a great friend of ours, who is no longer on this Earth's plain but is remembered with great affection .Dummer {Ian] Otterburn was captain of the local cricket team then and used to wind the poor fellow up by calling him the Red Mullet I will contiue with the rest of our meal another night as I am sure we are all full up now. Or you are so hungry you are going to raid your fridge until you can travel to where we were. And did you guess where we were .... There is only a couple of stars that shine brightly on Earth. This one is in the North Yorkshire countryside and it is The Star at Harome as it is only a 15 minute drive.. For anyone staying with us and wanting to go to dine at the Star, we are happy to drive you there. .

This is newest top secret to be exposed . Nonna's Supper Club

Nonna is the Italian name for grandmother ,granny ,grandma and all the rest of the names we call our Parents mother. These are the ladies who tend teach us things,spoil and treat us and pass down family traditions. This Nonna is quite special and comes in the shape of Jill Greetham. A woman extradionaire who admits she has had a long love affair with Italy. There is a website you need to read about Jill and her family www.nonnassupperclub.co.uk . A brave and resilent woman who will not have had an easy journey through life. I have nothing but admiration for her and for her food and that is what I want to tell you about. Yesterday evening I had the pleasure of going along to eat at one of these special events she has started up. Who better to take with me than long standing friend ,Mary Oneil who used to live in Nunnington where Nonnas Supper Club is based. It was a set meal of tiny plates ,not so tiny even in Yorkshire terms. It is bring your own drinks as they do not have a licence. Even better as you can take your own tipple along without the hiked up prices you can pay when you go out to eat. We arrived at 6.45pm in time to eat at 7pm. Fast forward to 10.50pm when I next looked at my watch, where had nearly 4 hours gone. The answer was on a culinery trip around Italy as we sampled delights as the delighful bambinos served up the courses. They were as good as any professional waiters and did put some who work in 5 star restaurants to shame. Although Nonna and la mamma were looking after us too. The setting was in the garden surrounded by herbs,lavender and a good crop of peas hanging which I kick myself now for not taking a photo. The photos I have taken will take you through our dining experience which cost only £35. The finale or near finale was the best panna cotta I have ever had. We had gnudi, melon and parma harm ,veal, and greens even for me, who is the most ungreeny eater, they were cooked and seasoned to perfection. It was such a relaxed affair. The night was balmy and the food divine.The atmosphere what you get on the best holidays with friends I could have happily nodded off. I will not be watching the football, but if the food is anything to go Italy will beat the rest hands down. Word spreads quickly so recommend you get booked in soon as I am sure it will soon be hard to book a table at one of these dining dates. Jill did tell me that when time and virus allows she will be offering cookery days and I am sure you can guess which one I will be going on . So thank you Jill, Abi, Jessie and Jessies beau. All details are on www.nonnassupperclub.co.uk. There is a facebook page too

July - Harvest comes early

3 weeks on and nearly the end of July .The days are  noticeably shortening and harvest has begun. Whether it be fruit,vegetables or herbs we need to spend all our spare hours making use of all this produce for future months. Even trees are being harvested ,yes trees have a life span too and we happily now have a good store of dry logs for the winter.

So often have I thought to make mint sauce as we have so much mint in the garden, but never seem to get round to it. Lockdown as given me the time to do such things. I am on the ball making mint sauce enough for two households ,my Dads and ours and I guess a few to give away too . Mustard jars with the yellow plastic tops are the best to use as the vinegar can't rust the lids and it is just a nice size to keep in the fridge. Beggars cant be choosers so I have to use a wide array of jars.

My tomatoes are doing well and getting ready nicely, whereas my Dads havent started to turn red yet. His cucumbers are ready for eating and mine are like well, let's not mention them.  So it is nice to swap. We are having a race to see who can get the first runner beans. Mine stand about the height of me now but no sign of a flower as yet.  The peas have been pulled, blanched and in the freezer and we have started on the broad beans. My dad and I sit at the table shelling them and talk of happier days when it would be a proper family event . We had rows of them in the field. My Dad and uncles would bring them in sackfuls and we all had our place around the table chatting away as we did them. My Mother would be in the back kitchen with the cooker on full blast and steam pouring out of the door blanching them. I cant write about it anymore as it makes me sad as those lovely family members are not with us anymore. It must be so hard for my Dad too, but he doesn't complain. But all of you who knew them ..Fred,Appy and my Mum , will know what I mean.

 Then there was fresh rosemary and garlic to stab into the cheese we started supper with this evening .

The waistlines never get less as I spend time baking , tonight it was plum pies .This one reminded me of Bowie ... such a vivid imagination people used to say to my Mother and I guess something never change.  It was just the plums had boiled out .

And I reckon the 4th photo down deserves someone to appreciate its art and pay me millions of dollars for this piece... might call it the end of the coffee cake .... or the scrapings of the bowl ...well it seemed more digestible to me than an image of an unmade bed

Oh to be beside the sea.

Oh to be beside the sea

At times like this we all day dream of being in different places. I love the sea. These photo remind me of the last time I was there with my friend Susan .She lives on the coast so she likes to come in land . To be truthful I think we should all be grateful we are just well and ok and about to be at home.

I know a lot of my guests at the bed and breakfast like to come to stay with us . They like  the countryside views rather than looking out to sea , the wild birds singing rather than seagulls squawking. We dont have fog horns and sea frets. We have beautiful sunrising and sunsets.  We have wonderful restaurants and eating places even places thats serve up amazing fish and chips and sea food dishes...

 but I will continue to dream about going to the seaside ...to Whitby ...to the Magpie ... and eating fish that tastes as if it has just jumped out of the sea.  My last supper at the seaside when I chatting with Ian Robson and we put the world to rights.  I do hope we will meet up again before too long maybe Ian will venture over here into our territory and we will eat simple country food.
To eat with friends is the best thing in the world and what I miss the most. I eat with my best friend ever day but we both look forward to sharing our table with friends.

Did you know you could eat Ground Elder.

No ,Coronavirus has not turned us into goats or even worse vegans, it has just given us another of natures plants to colour our plates along side a nice rare piece of beef.

 Ground Elder is a pain in everyones gardens who have it. Maybe it is a good friend in times like this and one thing is for sure, it is always there for you. Even RoundUp doesn't get rid of it.

As you read articles on foraging and free wild food I can across an article about this weed that plagues our garden.

The roots just go on and on and try as we may it stays hidden away to come back with vengeance year after year.

The tender leaves have been used in antiquity and throughout the Middle Ages as a spring leaf vegetable, much as spinach was used. It is commonly used for soup. Young leaves are preferred as a pot herb. It is best picked from when it appears (as early as February in the UK) to just before it flowers (May to June). If it is picked after this point, it takes on a pungent taste and has a laxative effect. However, it can be stopped from flowering by pinching out the flowers, ensuring the plant remains edible if used more sparingly as a pot herb.

The leaves can be eaten in a salad where they have a nutty flavour, or cook in butter like spinach. also had a history as a medicinal herb to treat gout and arthritis,^[applied in hot wraps externally upon boiling both leaves and roots together. Ingested, the leaves have a diuretic effect and act as a mild sedative. Its use as a medicinal herb has largely declined during the modern era.

The plant is said to have been introduced into Great Britain by the Romans as a food plant and into Northern Europe as a medicinal herb by monks.

So armed with a dish I soon collected enough to use some in a salad and there was enough to cooked with some fish in butter.

Red Gold ....one of the little pleasures in Life in these Coronavirus times

What has been your little pleasure today ... I am sure we are all not taking things for granted any more.
My Dad likes nothing more than to share what he has in his garden. My mum always used to say "George ,why do you grow so much " He gets great pleasure from growing plants especially vegetables in this garden although he has a good display of flowers too . And we mustn't forget fruit.. Well that is his forte too, Tomatoes are fruit ..
Today I was the chosen one.... to go and pick red gold .... yes red gold . We all know there is white, rose and yellow gold but this is red..   So carefully I cut 4 pieces all from different plants as not just to "rob" one . It is too early in the season yet to have enough to make a pie or crumble.

So may I present my first taste red gold of the season..... Rhubarb . Proper North Yorkshire Rhubabr none of this forced stuff. Fresh out of the garden which is doing well with a good dollop of muck out of the fold yard on it for fertiliser .

It was quite a good day despite the weather not been as sunny as last week when this arrived in the post this morning . I have been shortlisted in the Serviced Apartment Award 2020  as the Best Operator 1 - 50 Units categories . And what made it even better was the postman didn't see the stamp hadn't been marked so I can use it again. He has a nasty habit of scribbling over the top of stamps if they haven't been marked . Although we must grumble as we are grateful he brings our post. Over the last couple of weeks he doesn't open the door and put it on the table any more . I have put an empty Kitty cat food box outside and he now pops it in there . I go outside for it, take everything out of the envelopes ,put the envelopes on the fire and then wash my hand thoroughly .  Even little changes like this make me feel a little safer .
Keep safe everyone and when  you put the dustbin out as a dustbin man, one said that he touched around 2000 a day  so you need to be extra careful there too ,when touching the handle x

Goose for tea. ...Fight Coronavirus

Well, we all have breakfast , so we all agree it is called breakfast.... no problem understanding that ... but then we come to 12 noon when we have our dinner a lot of people have lunch . We have our tea around 5pm .Now some would think tea is to drink or afternoon tea is when you go to Betty's with your god mother or other generous soul who digs deep into their pocket. Our tea is proper food which is  a hot meal sometimes followed by a pudding. Not a Yorkshire pudding so you could call it sweet or dessert . Yorkshire Puddings you have as the beginning  course of a meal Oh dear how do foreigners cope with the English language, let along sort our eating habits out .
Supper when I was a child was maybe toast, a teacake or some thing plain and fried cheese after Brownies on a Monday night .Goodness knows why, other than thinking the cheese had gone a bit dry and it needed eating up .
If you went to school at Ampleforth College or some other posh school you had supper ,but supper is actually high tea but a bit later ......Hope you are still following me .... Supper to the village children was supper you had near bedtime .
If you go to someone house in your "posh clothes" you have dinner approx 8pm, have lots of knives and forks and at least 4 courses of food  or supper would be 2 or 3 courses.
Jack who doesn't like to eat late if we invite people to eat we say come to have a bit of tea with us about 6pm ...I like to think people dont go home hungry, so this can give me the scope of added another course if I have time to make another. I think my 8 course "tea" I cooked a few years ago is still talked about . That was for 15 people to celebrate Jacoponi our Italian friends birthday .

When I bought my Christmas goose I bought another 2 as well . One for Easter and then one for another time probably around Jacks birthday. Anyway, I decided we are all well at the moment and in these uncertain days we dont know what Easter will hold so rather than not have one and enjoy I took it out of the freezer and we had it for tea. Maybe this goes back to my Brownie days of be prepared or was that just the Scouts that said that , Along with Yorkshire puddings and all the trimmings . I ate far too much crispy skin, but why not enjoy what you want. Enjoy today attitude at the moment ..
So if you have something hidden away in your freezer treat yourself now as for us if Coronavirus is going visit I also have plenty of goose grease to rub on our chests .

And hopefully it wont be long before we are all having meals together with friends and family like we are in the bottom photo.

New top class chef on the block - ADAM JACKSON at The FEVERSHAM ARMS

Delighted to say there is now another place we can suggest to guests to go to eat. It is in the Weathervane Restaurant at the Feversham Arms in Helmsley. Adam Jackson is now head chef there and his food is amazing.
I have know Adam a long long time .Firstly when he was head chef at the Black Swan in Oldstead where he got a Michelin star for his food.  More recently he has returned from the bright lights of York to take the Feversham Arms to another level .
I was very honoured when he made time to attend the Ryedale Business Awards last week when I announced this great talent was in the area had arrived. It had all been very secretive up until only a few days before.

I went along last night with two friends, Mary who drink Prosecco, Tracy who has a liking for Vodka and Cranberry ..I must try that it was a new one to me and as I was driving I stuck to tap water.
A 2 or 3 course a la carte menu . Chef Jackson certainly worked incredibly hard to keep all 36 diners happy. Nearly a full restaurant  on a freezing evening yes it was 0 degrees when we later ventured out into the late night air.  Please note it was only freezing outside and I had a prime view of everyone cooing and oohhing over their food as I was sat with my back to the wall with a good view of the room.
To start not just bread homemade of course with my favourite of favourites marmite butter and a sea salted version too but a cup of the finest lightest french onion soup I have ever drank . would be pot washer for a week to learn how to make this. I have ever drank . It also came with little balls the finest of choux filled with whipped goats cheese

There is a very detailed version of this blog written up on our FACEBOOK PAGE - JACK PECKITT/ANNA LUPTON if you wish to read it more deeply . I will say what I choose I couldn't have bettered .Sea Trout with hispi, wasabi and apple to start -that was my favourite , my main course was Cod, loveage, ratte potatoes and potted shrimps with the latter catching my eye to make the difficult decision a little easier to know which course to chose. Topped off with Chocolate ,blood orange and pecan.
Mary and Tracy had the beef which they said they had never tasted beef like it .
 We were given extra surprises in store along the way as nice places do . You know it is a "nice "place when you finish with a cheese board with not only has orchard chutneys, crackers and walnut and treacle bread but honey and walnut on one of  cheese as well . 

Rascills at Raskelf --No tricks just treats.

A breathe of fresh air and a large lick of paint has transformed what was the Purple Partridge into Rascills . I must say I did like the giant teapot which used to stand out but this lovely young couple, Richard and Lindsey Johns don't need a teapot to entice people in .

Recommendation does it for me after they did any amazing job down "'Ull way' at their award winning Artisan restaurant in Hessle. Richard has spent some months this year helping his mate,Andrew Pern out at one of his starry places in York .

They are now nicely settled just off the A19 and not too far away from us so guest who stay with us will have another choice in store. And Richard's beef which is mouth watering to write about and even more so to taste, along with the rest of the food he creates.

So it is time for you to take a look at their website www.rascillsrestaurant.vpweb.co.uk.

 Tues,Wed and Thursday- an a la carte menu , Friday and Saturday - a tasting menu and the last Sunday in every month - Sunday Lunch.

For those of you who know Jack I can tell you what he will be going for it is Richards Chateaubriand and thrice cooked chips ...he will fore go the red wine sauce but more for me and will probably have the giants half of the beast.  Tasting menus are not Jack's scene as he tends to fall asleep half way. Especially now it is the shooting season and he is out all day, when he comes into the warmth and has a drink or three its goodnight from Jack. So give the baby his steak and let him get to bed.

My "plate of buffet" that we were treated to.

 Even a selection of drinks for me ....

 Jack drank all the red ...Not really surprised are you ?  so there was only white to show you but some very pleasant ones so I was told.

Richard and Lindseys hall of fame .... Yes Hull's angels, your eyes are not playing tricks

And our super hosts for the evening .

Quite apt that I wrote this blog on Mischief Night ,so time to be a little rascal and book a table on with them on 01347 822031.



 

A meal by the sea

Nothing quite beats a day at the seaside. Whitby is an hours drive from us and when it is a sunny day I always begin to think ...paddle,sea,sand.... and when you get there it isn't as warm as it is in land and the sea is cold and the sand gets between your toes. But one thing that never fails to disappoint is the Magpie Cafe - proudly stand overlooking the harbour decked in black and white. In fact inthe dusking light it could be said to stand regally .While others come and others go you can always be sure of the best seafood on the table. It was my cousin's birthday and I could believe she had got to the grand old age of 58 and never been. Monday evening at 8pm in May you wouldn't have expected to queue .But it wasn't long before we were sat down and eagerly awaiting out chosen dishes.  I know how much choice they offer, so pre-warned is pre-armed and I had advised Gillian the night before to scale the menu via the internet. There is nothing worse than you knowing what you want and the rest of the party dilly and dallying about.  Gillian opted for a medley of hot seafood, while I went for 2 starters  the risotto with scallops  and salt and pepper squid. Never had oysters before ,that had to be remedied, I ordered one for Gillian and she dutifully got it down .In fact she decided

she quite liked it after a bit of face pulling - she always was a picky child eater !
Lets say the finally plate says it all ...and no there wasn't a pattern on the plate but what had rested before on it was truly delicious. And now the Magpie has another convert - not that it took much doing .