Speros, St Mary's, Isles of Scilly

 It was our first night out in seven and a half months. Now the baby is sleeping through (ish) we were able to ask Mum and Dad to babysit and head off in the boat for a couple of hours to ourselves. We decided to head off island to Speros on St Mary's. It's right on the beach and makes a perfect landing spot for the boat. 

After dropping anchor Richard and Amelia gave us a table out on the patio (you might as well be eating on the beach!) and it was such a warm evening it was the perfect start.

We were both keen to have some local crab as we haven't had any this year so started with a mixed seafood platter. A great big pile of white crab meat with smoked mackerel, smoked salmon and prawns. It was the perfect choice. 

Then I had chicken breast with cured meats, pesto, boiled potatoes and vegetables which was delicious. I love chicken and it's never on menus enough so I was really pleased to have it for once.
We tend to go half and half on desserts but we both wanted the chocolate brownie which was divine (and gluten free!). 



























Speros is such a lovely place to eat on St Mary's. The location in fantastic, the food delicious and the service hard to beat.

And if you've got a boat it's got just about the prettiest 'car' park you can imagine!

Back for 2014....

So I'm out of the baby haze. 5 months after the birth of Cordelia Anne I'm finally back at the computer and back to the blog. 

Today we wandered over to Tresco as it was the first proper opening day of the Ruin Beach Cafe. It's one of our favourite places to eat. They have a wood fired oven so we love getting ideas for our garden oven. 

If you're worried about visiting the South West this spring time (post storms) just look at what you are missing...

The food was fantastic as usual and my in laws loved it (it was their first visit).

Thanks for sticking with me (and the nice emails!)

Mainland munchies....

 

Only 3 weeks left of our 10 week trip away. This week we're in Cornwall for New Year and then off to Thailand for a two week (very late) honeymoon. We start in Bangkok, then onto Cape Panwa and Koh Phi Phi. I am mostly looking forward to the Bangkok street food which everyone says is fantastic. I'd love any good food reccomendations for Thailand. Anyway here is some of what we've been eating in the last few weeks.....

 

 

Treacle Tart and Vanilla Salt at The Scarlet, Mawgan Porth.

 

 

Crab raviolo with Mylor prawn bisque, tarragon foam, rouille and crostini at The Scarlet. Probbl one of my food highlights.

 

Cocktails with bridesman Alex in London.

 



 

A chocolately delight at The Porthminster Beach Cafe, St Ives.

 

 

Japanese mackerel broth at The Porthminster Beach Cafe, St Ives.

Drifting away....

At work we have a post show meeting. We finish playing the news jingle, make sure the next programme is underway and then discuss how the show went. On Monday it went a bit like this....'So who wants to start....what did we really like about this morning's show?' Me: 'Yeah great show. Can I tell you all about my dinner at the Driftwood on Friday night....' then for about 15 minutes I launched into a full scale review, course by course. Cue weatherman with his head in his hands. Presenter shaking his head trying to work out what I'm going on about. But I couldn't help it. That's just how good The Driftwood is. You want to tell everyone about it.

I'm so over excited by just how great Friday was that my written review will be rubbish. Because even when I think about how to describe it the sentences in my head speed up and phrases like 'yummy crumbly stuff' and 'a red sauce thing' keep making an appearance. Basically it was fantastic. The only thing I will go into detail with is the pudding. I don't really order puddings mainly because I love cheese so much. So I ordered the cheese board and the other half went for a chocolate pudding under the agreement that I could have a spoonful.

It was a chocolate mousse (although it could have been a foam it was so light) a chocolate ganachy layer, puffed rice and then....salted caramel. Not just any salted caramel but the best I have ever tasted. I had my one designated spoonful. Then I went in for another. I think I even managed another swipe before my other half threatened some kind of scene if I didn't return it to his side of the table. Oh God I miss that pudding.

So The Driftwood closes for a couple of months from Friday as it does every winter. And I need something to fill that pudding shaped hole. So I made my own salted caramel pudding. No where near last Friday's effort. However when the other half thought his father in law had polished it off he did almost cry...so it can't have been that bad.

Banana and salted caramel chocolate cheesecake....(serves 8 but probably more...)

2x 200g tubs of cream cheese

250g mascarpone

3 tbsp condensed milk

1 vanilla pod

2 tbsp icing sugar sieved

1 pkt chocolate digestives (I think it was 200g)

100g salted butter

4 bananas

2 tbsps golden syrup

50g butter

2 tbsp dried milk powder

2 flake bars

a little melted chocolate

Crush the biscuits in a food processor. Melt the 100g of butter and add to the crumbs. Push into a cake tin with a detachable base. Chill for an hour or so. To make the salted caramel melt the butter and syrup together when it starts to boil take off the heat and sieve in the dried milk. Give it a good stir and put to one side.

In a bowl put the cheeses, condensed milk, sieved icing sugar and vanilla and give it a good stir. Once the base has been chilled slice the bananas onto the base and drizzle over the salted caramel. Spoon the cheese mix over the top and sprinkle with the crushed flake and the melted chocolate.

Ideally leave it overnight in the fridge. I only left it four hours and it was spooned into bowls. It still tasted awesome but didn't look very cheesecakey. By the next day it was much firmer.

Thanks again to everyone at The Driftwood for a brilliant night.

The Driftwood, Portscatho, 01872 580644

The Trengilly Wartha Inn....

The thing about hidden gems is that they are far too hidden away. This afternoon I've spent a sulky afternoon on Gyllyngvase Beach at Falmouth. It was too crowded for me, too many children kicking me in the head as they ran past waving their spades around. And that's why beaches like Treen are so special...because they are so blooming hard to get to most people don't bother. And it's the same with lunch venues. This morning I spent about an hour driving along every single track road around Port Navas, Constantine and Gweek trying to find the Trengilly Wartha Inn. It gives clear directions on the webiste. I just couldn't find it. 'User error,' my boss would say.

I was going there to meet up with my husband and his triathalon training friends. I was three more fist shakes away from giving up and driving home when I saw the sign and finally made it.

We sat outside in the burning sun enjoying the gorgeous gardens and lovely drinks. We mostly ordered ploughmans. Me, Cornish blue and the husband a mixed cheese one.

The hidden gem in the ploughmans was the delicious homemade pickles. It's rare you hear people enthusing over pickled cauliflower but it was completely wonderful. Sweet, spicy and crunchy. I think the other pickle was cucumber, it had small lumps of chilli which gave a great bite.

Two of the cyclers had lovely pots of rusty red fresh crab with all the same pickles and bread. We seemed to have a lot less salad than the others, having a plate of leaves but they were dressed so beautifully we didn't mind. The chips even came with homemade mayonaisse. I'm not sure I've ever been to a pub that does that. It was one of the best lunches I have had in a long time. A real hidden gem. I'll be back..if I can find it.

Trengilly Wartha Inn, Near Constantine, Falmouth

01326 340332

Ploughmans £9.20

Rice way to spend a day....

There were ten of us huddled under the branches of a tree just above the cliffs at Mylor. Big fat raindrops were falling and the leaves were doing little to protect us. We'd wandered down to watch boats out on the water for Falmouth Week. A little damp we retraced our steps along the coast picking bit fat sloes for Christmas sloe gin. Back at the harbour The Cornish Curry Company had a stall making paella and crab cakes. I didn't have enough money but I did have a mouthful of the crab cakes. They were fantastic.

The Cornish Curry Company let us shelter under their tent as more rain fell. Despite the rain it was a perfect Sunday.

Coming soon...The next part of the 'how to self cater a wedding' guide.

Fifteen Cornwall..

A few weeks ago we had my 'pre wedding girly lunch' at Fifteen Cornwall. It was fab. The food was wonderful, the service was second to none.

Maybe it's the weeks of soup and rice cakes but I'm still dreaming about their treacle tart.

Rare treats...

Ok, so my promise to spend less time on bunting and more time on blogging hasn't exactly worked out the way I'd hoped. We've also been moving house so it's taken us a while to get organised. Two weeks today I'll be standing on Penzance quay waiting to get on the Scillonian. Now doubt it will be 30'c in what will be just the beginning if a two week heat wave (#completelydelusional).

I've been dieting hard. I've lost 2 stone 1lb now and I'm hoping to loose another 8lb by the wedding. So as you can imagine blogging about eating sticks of baby corn and tomato soup isn't exactly exciting. However we are having our honeymoon on Scilly as well and I'm going to make up for all those lost calories. I give it 48 hours before I'm off to St Mary's. Lunch will probably be at Dibble and Grub and afternoon tea at Juliet's Garden. We had a cream tea there two weeks ago and it was fantastic. We sat in the sunshine overlooking the harbour (it seems a long time ago now.)

If we stay over the night maybe we'll head to St Mary's Hall Hotel. It's launched a brand new menu that focuses on classic British ingredients, with rare breeds meat raised on the hotel owner’s own Gloucestershire farm taking a lead role.

Dishes on the new menu include Roasted shoulder of Ryland Lamb, served with braised savoy cabbage, bacon and a redcurrant jus, slow roasted belly of Gloucester Old Spot pork stuffed with sage and apple served with braised red cabbage and new potatoes, Gloucester fillet steak, and roasted fore rib of Gloucestershire beef.

The rare breeds meat also makes its mark on the hotel’s bar menu with Ryeland Lamb Burgers with Cornish wild garlic, served with crispy battered onion rings and a yoghurt and paprika oil dip and a classic Cottage Pie. (Book me a table now!)

As well as the rare breeds meat the restaurant also features fresh crab and lobster caught in island waters.

For more information on Spirit Bar and Restaurant and St Mary’s Hall hotel click here or call 01720 422316.

The Rising Sun, St Mawes.....

Last week we took the water taxi from Falmouth to St Mawes. It was one of the many sunny evenings we've had recently. Boats were darting around the harbour while gig crews practised around the mouth of Carrick Roads.

We ate at The Rising Sun. Everyone else ate football sized fish and chips I had a thick wedge of grilled hake with sun dried tomatoes and balsamic.

We drank wine and beers while the sun streamed through the window. It was perfect.

Great British Menu....

Later this month Paul Ainsworth from Padstow is going to compete in the regional rounds of Great British Menu.

It will be on BBC 2 at the end of the month. The chef that makes it through to the final will be fighting for the right to serve one of the dishes at The People's Banquet- a street party for 100 deserving members of the public.

I've never at eaten at his restaurants (Paul Ainsworth at Number 6 and Rojano's In The Square) but I've had a lot of long ad gushing reviews from friends....so no doubt he will be there until the end and so he should.

Watergate Bay.....

I am enjoying this sunshine. I'm enjoying the barbecues and the eating out. And wiggling my toes in the sand.

At the weekend we went to Watergate Bay and ate at the Beach Hut.

It was officially better than being abroad.

The Beach Hut

Watergate Bay

01637 860543

Seabass with chorizo and sweet red onions....

This is the last of my blogs about Arty Williams' Fish Masterclass at The Cove in Falmouth.

I learnt a lot in the two hours and have already eaten a lot more fish since. I'd like to thank the people at Cornwall Food and Drink who arrange for me to go on the course as part of Spring Feast Fortnight.

Seabass with chorizo and sweet red onions....(serves 2)

2 seabass fillets (make sure the fishmonger pin bones them)

a little oil

2 red onions

150ml red wine

3/4 tbsp redcurrant jelly

1 tbsp apricot jam

1 tbsp brown sugar

juice and zest of 1 lemon

4 slices chorizo.

Preheat the oven to 180'c. First make the red onions. Slice the onions thinly. Put all the ingredients except the onions in a saucepan. Reduce the liquid until syrupy and sticky. Add the red onions and turn the heat to low. Stir well and cover. After 10 minutes remove the lid and cook until the mixture is sticky and sweet. Put aside.

Heat a pan with a little oil. Place the fillets skin side down. Cook for a few minutes and then pop in the oven for a few minutes more. While the fish is in the oven, fry the chorizo.

Serve the fish with the warm onions and chorizo.

My stomach is grumbling. Loud angry grumbles that force the people around me to stare awkwardly. I'm at The Cove's Fish Masterclass., organised as part of Cornwall Food and Drink's Spring Feast Fortnight. It's 6.30pm and it's still warm at Maenporth. Barefoot children are dancing around a jumping dog while the Cove's customers watch them with chilled glasses of wine in hand. There could be no better week to launch the Spring Feast Fortnight. It's balmy and warm and everyone at the Masterclass is up for learning how to prepare and cook Cornwall's fish superstars.

We learn how to pick a crab with our senses. It was Arty's use of sound I found most fascinating. He cut the crab by listening to the sound of the knife against its shell. Later he sliced fat scallops and marinated them for us to eat raw. I couldn't wait to get home and make them.

Scallop Ceviche....(serves 4)

12 scallops

1 garlic clove crushed

half a chilli finely chopped

1 heaped tsp palm sugar

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 and a bit tsp nut oil

half a tsp finely chopped ginger

1 and half limes

1 and a half tbsp olive oil

Mix all the marinade ingredients together. Make sure the sugar has dissolved. Slice the scallops horizontally into three thin slices. Pop in the marinade and leave for a couple of minutes. Share out between four plates and serve.

There were so many good tips and recipes that I'm going to have to blog about the course in three parts. The Cove does courses like this throughout the season and Arty will convince even the biggest fishaphobe to start filleting!

Take part in Cornwall Spring Feast Fortnight by clicking here. You can eat out at some of Cornwall's best restaurants for fantastic prices. There are also various courses- like The Coves'- to take part in.

If you want more information about The Cove call 01326 251136 or read this blog post.

Pandora Fire....

So sorry to hear about the Pandora burning down. It's a bit of a Cornish institution and great for a post row drink. I walked down to Point Quay earlier and the smoke was drifting up the creek.