News & Events
- Calstone - Previous Occupants
- On a personal note, I am only one of many people who deliver ‘The Villages’ magazine but amongst my deliveries are five sent by post. Four of the people I expect you all know - Lady Elizabeth Lambton, Joan Wheeler-Bennett, Beryl Ward and The Rev. and Mrs. Horlock but I also send a copy to Mr. D. Mills in Chippenham who was just a name to me. However, today I had a delightful visit from Mr. Mills and now I can put a face and voice to the name. I also learned that Mr. Mills used to work with Derick Eadon on East Farm. What a lovely man with many stories of Calstone and its previous occupants. I feel I can now write to him as Dennis - thank you so much for your visit.
Mary Whitfield
- Cookbook
- The Cookbook has been an outstanding success and it has had to be reprinted!
Copies are available at a cost of £5 from Benita (815057), Izzy (811110) or Fiona (813143). - Food For Thought
- If I Could Turn Back Time
If I could turn back time to a hundred years ago,
I would be happy to live in a world that, compared to today, would be very slow
Where food was food and not man-made rot
and people were happy with their lot.
Where materialism was very rare
and neighbours knew each other really well and showed that they did really care.
Where the old were cared for with deep devotion and love
and the majority of folk believed in God above.
Where people painted pictures that were beautiful: real art.
Where majestic buildings, that looked magnificent, were landmarks, each playing their part.
Where our farmers got a really fair deal and price for their cattle
and old horses and carts, along country lanes and over cobble stones, did rattle.
Old-fashioned love was believed in by all,
when Cupid, shooting love darts, decided to call.
Oh well, I guess I cannot turn back time,
but to go back 100 years would have suited me fine.
Patricia Gray
- Improved Facilities
- Thanks to the hard work put in by Derick Eadon, our church now has ‘improved facilities’, i.e. an outside toilet. We are sure this will prove to be very useful indeed, particularly as there is an increase in the number of weddings/events being held at our church this year.
- Jazz Club
- FUTURE PROGRAMMES:
27th July: Chris Gradwell (saxophone and clarinet) with Andrew Barrett (jazz guitar) and Clive on bass plus piano.
31st August: Jim Mullen (jazz guitar) with Nick Payn (sax & harmonica and flute) and Dorian on bass.
Yours ever
James and Brig
- Joy Pranty
- Mehedy Husan sadly died last year from a fatal road accident. We are now sponsoring another boy from the same project in Bangladesh in the southwest of Khulna. He is the same age as Mehedy and they might have been friends. Our new boy is called Joy Pranty and we are delighted to be able to support him through his education. Joy enjoys playing with cars and running as his hobbies. We look forward to writing to him and receiving his news.
- Love
- This beautiful poem by George Herbert, written in the 17th Century, was read in St. Mary’s Church during the Intersesions at Matins on Saint Valentine’s Day
Love bade me welcome: yet my soul drew back,
Guilty of dust and sin.
But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack
From my first entrance in,
Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning
If I lacked anything.
‘A guest,’ I answered, ‘worthy to be here’:
Love said, ‘You shall be he.’
‘I, the unkind, ungrateful? Ah, my dear,
I cannot look on thee.’
Love took my hand, and smiling did reply,
‘Who made the eyes but I?’
Truth, Lord: but I have marred them; let my shame
Go where it doth deserve.’
‘And know you not,' says Love,’ who bore the blame?’
You must sit down,’ says Love, and taste my meat.’
So I did sit and eat.
- PCC AGM
- The A.G.M. of the P.C.C. took place in April and the following Officers/Committee Members were elected/re-elected.
Chair - Philip Bromiley, Rector
Church wardens - Derick Eadon and Jack Wylie
Deputy Church warden - Yvonne Griffiths
Secretary/Electoral Role Officer - Lindsay Wood
Treasurer - Jack Wylie
Committee Members - Brenda Wylie, Ali Wylie, Linda Gilder, Mary Whitfield, Suzy Miles, Grahame Shaw
- Plowmans Lunch - update
- Last month I gave details of the financial success of our fundraising event at Calstone House.
Shortly after the magazine went to press I was sorting out several boxes of unwanted odds and ends to take to Calne charity shops.
I was about to load them into my car when something prompted me to give a last-minute check. At the bottom of the first box I found a small margarine tub which seemed out of place and I opened it to discover it was full of money! It was obviously the takings from one of our stalls which had gone astray. Of course I quickly checked the other boxes but they were disappointingly normal.
The charity shop would have been delighted I have no doubt, but no more so than I.
Apart from our small pot of gold we also had some generous donations from people who, although unable to attend, wished us well. Thank you all. In addition I learned that Wellington Barn decided to donate the wines as well as the beers which had been previously agreed, so thank you very much David.
All this generosity meant that the final sum amounted to £1470-00. The only expense being the hire of the marquee at £250 this left us with a clear profit of £1220-00.
Well done indeed Calstone.
Jack.
- Tea Towels
- The Calstone Wellington tea towels, commissioned to raise funds for the church, are finally ready. At only £3.00 each, they are an absolute bargain and an ideal stocking filler!
Please contact Ali Wylie on 01249 822443 with your orders while stocks last. If you wish to view before you buy, there is a sample available.
- The Visit of Bishop Stephen to Calstone
- We were so glad that the snow, which had made getting to church quite a struggle, had been washed away just in time for the visit of the Bishop of Ramsbury. The congregation of St. Mary’s, together with friends from St. James’, gathered to welcome the Bishop and his chaplain when they came to share communion with us on 17th January. It was good to have forty people in church for a lovely service. Bishop Stephen was entertained in the vestry by our young server, Daniel, who told him all about life at Cherhill School, before solemnly leading him to the chancel, carrying his cross.
After a very enjoyable service, Bishop Stephen invited all the children to join him for the blessing and to take hold of his staff as a sign that they were sharing in God’s blessing. It was lovely to see that our very tall, bachelor Bishop has a very nice way with the youngest members of the church.
- Village Litter Pick
- Thank you to everyone who took part in the Litter Pick on Saturday, 7th November. Approximately a dozen villagers arrived at Manor Farm at 10.30 a.m. on a bright and sunny morning to help, which enabled this task to be completed in a very short time. Many hands certainly did make light work and let us now hope that the Village is kept ‘litter free’ by villagers and visitors alike! Thank you
- Young Writers’ Poetry Explorers competition
- Cherhill School recently submitted some of the children’s poems to the Young Writers’ Poetry Explorers competition. Poetry Explorers is the nineteenth annual Young Writers’ Poetry competition and over 65,000 entries were received from the UK and overseas. James Wylie, a young member of our congregation, had his poem ‘Happiness’ selected for publication in the Poetry Explorers 2009 - Young Poets book.
Well done James - we send you our congratulations and print below your successful poem.
Happiness
Happiness makes me feel joyful, excited, top of the world,
extraordinary and peaceful.
Happiness tastes like sweets, toffee, chocolate, pizza, burgers,
chips and pasta.
Happiness looks like a magical world, trees grow hot wheels cars
from the branches, everything is beautiful and healthy.
Happiness sounds like birds in the trees, the nibbling of bunnies
eating carrots, racing cars ready to race.
Happiness smells like pizza ready to eat, the wildlife air through the skies.
James Wylie (aged 9)
Dates For Your Diaries
- Easter Services at St. Mary’s
- Palm Sunday, 28th March – Holy Communion – 9.45 a.m.
Wednesday, 31st March – Compline – 7.30 p.m.
Good Friday, 2nd April – Good Friday Devotion – 9.45 a.m.
Easter Sunday, 4th April – Easter Communion – 9.45 a.m.
- Future events
- Meeting dates for 2010 for the Access Group
6th July,
5th October
If there are any items you wish to be included in the next edition of ‘The Villages’, please let me have them by 18th March 2010. Thank you. (Linda Gilder 814008 - email: mdgilder@tiscali.co.uk
Articles
- A Bullet from the Past
- I would like to pass on to you a true story told by Michael Maundrell to Derrick Eadon.
In 1928, when the Reverend Edwin Matthews was the preist in charhe of our church, a bullet came flying throught the church window by the altar. In those days there was a rifle range close by (in the vicinity of Wellington Barn) and the Reverend wrote to the people concerned, returing the bullet, and asking them to ensure that no more bullets were directed towards the church.
In reply the Reverend was sent a silver matchbox cover with the stray bullet positioned on top of the box.
This "gift" is still in our Vestry today. - A Nativity With A difference
- My Mum has a beautiful white porcelain Nativity set, which is carefully put on display every Christmas. Two years ago, my parents moved from Yorkshire to Wiltshire to be nearer to the family, so a new place was chosen for the Nativity set in their new home as Christmas approached.
I have three lively boys who enjoy visiting their grandparents. They often play with their Lego and toy vehicles in my parents’ hallway (near to the Nativity set!). After one of their numerous visits, my Mum noticed that the boys had forgotten to tidy away all of their toys as a few items had been found lying around next to the Nativity set. When my Mum saw the boys next, she mentioned this matter. My middle son, Daniel, piped up “No Grandma, I didn’t forget to put the things away. Our friend Philip told us at school that all Nativity sets should have a camel for the wise men to visit baby Jesus, and yours doesn’t.” What Daniel had left for the wise men to visit baby Jesus on were a racing car, a speed boat and an aeroplane! My Mum now has three interesting additions to her nativity set thanks to Daniel.
Ali Wylie
- A report In the Bath Journal dated 12th February 1770
- "Wednesday last between 1 and 2 o'clock as I was travelling on horseback near Beckhampton in Wiltshire, a storm of wind and snow blowing so violently I found it impractical to proceed over the Down, therfore I made the best of my way to Beckhampton House (Inn) where I was soon informed by some gentlemen and two ladies, passengers belonging to two of the Bath machines on their way to London, that they had undergone great distress in going over Cherhill Down; the storm overpowered the horses to such a degree that they could not go on; and in the hurricane one of the coachmen was blown off his box, this increased the fears of the ladies and gentlemen not a little; however, they let down the windows of the machines, to make way for the wind, as it came sideways, to have free passage through, and in this situation they sat near an hour perished with the cold; at length they determined to get out and try to walk to Beckhampton House (the distance not being above a mile) but in consequence of this, both machines immediately overset, and the passengers were then in greater difficulties being quite exposed to the inclemency of the wind and snow.
One of the gentleman, in endevouring to prevent the ladies from, being quite blown away, lost his hold and was blown from his companions upwards of 150 yards where he lay till assistance came to him, incapable of either seeing or hearing, and according to the gentlemans account of himself on his recovery from his fright, breathless, I stayed with these travellers above an hour and a half, and I left the whole party recovered; and the storm being much abated, the people of the village and the coachmen were about getting the carriages off the Down, which they had found impossible to attempt before." - St. Mary’s Church at Calstone Wellington – exciting new discoveries
- In the spring of 2007 I persuaded, without any difficulty, the Calstone Wellington PCC to consider restoring our somewhat grubby Royal Coat of Arms above the church chancel. These Arms, about which we know very little, were painted on the only section of plaster which the Victorians had not hacked off the church wall during their ‘re-ordering process’ in 1885.
During the next six months I tracked down, with the help of the Council for the Care of Churches, someone whom I felt was the right person for this type of restoration work, - Jane Rutherford, who lives not far away in Pewsey. She studied painting restoration in Florence, and then worked on restoring works for the Bavarian Government and the State Department in Vienna. She is a member of the United Kingdom Institute for Conservation and is on the Wall Paintings sub-Committee.
She has worked for the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Lord Bath at Longleat, Dulwich College and for the Church Conservation Trust at Inglesham among many others. Most of 2007 and the early part of this year was taken up in my submitting papers for the Diocese of Salisbury Advisory Committee (DAC) in order for them to approve that we could be on their Agenda for a Faculty for the approval of the Committee for the Care of Churches; as the only time they would consider our application for a financial grant was on 14th March this year, and all had to be prepared by then. Scaffolding was then rushed up under the church chancel by Pat and David Maundrell, so that Jane could examine closely the structural condition in order to do her report and so try for a grant.
Her Report on her Preliminary Inspection of our Arms is a wonderfully detailed and erudite work, which many in the Parish have already seen – if you would like to see it and know more please contact Suzy Miles at 812955, and borrow a copy – but please remember to return it. Jane had to fight her way through cobwebs, centuries of dust and soot from the previous old church boiler and bat excrement to examine the state of the painting, which was done, she discovered, on a surface primed with ‘size’ on a layer of hair and lime plaster of about 6-7mm thick. An associate of Jane’s, Catherine Hassall, did a laboratory test on the paint and found that the lead white which was used, had not blackened much during the three centuries, indicating the likely use of oil paint.
She found out that the Royal Arms are those of Queen Anne after the Union with Scotland in 1707, and were probably painted a few years after that. She also discovered some over-painting in the circle beneath the Royal Garter, which although it has practically disappeared with age, a date of 1740 can just be made out. This could commemorate the date when a new incumbent came to Calstone, the Rev. Robert Rogers; or it could even commemorate a visit by Queen Anne to the area on her way back from Bath to London, as Derick Eadon has found an historical reference to the trip.
On 15th May we were delighted to receive a letter from Dr. Pedro Gaspar, of the Conservation Council, saying we had been given a £2,000 grant to restore the arms. This, together with a very generous donation of £1,000 from Sabrina Horne in memory of her late husband, Michael, who was much in favour of the restoration when he was alive, gets us a long way towards Jane’s £4,000 estimate – of which £450 has already been paid by the PCC for her report mentioned above.
Christopher Miles
- Thank You
- A few months ago, 1 had a call from an old friend whom l used to see almost daily, when we lived next door to each other in a quiet square. We often talked about fears that always hovered not far away - and l believe the passion of our prayers for them was an ever-present fire in our hearts.
Lizzie had four children (two of each), of whom the two girls went on to live relatively undisturbed lives, and the two boys intellectually ambitious ones, one as a don and university lecturer on the complex lives of an incredible encyclopedia of exotic insects (he had four children, too . . .) the other as a bookish bachelor - a useful single man for many a glamorous dinner party.
However, it was not the one with the colourful social life who was to cause the anguish of the next few months, but Hugh, the quiet don with a passion for justice that was only rarely openly displayed. Already constantly but silently - infuriated by the daily insults and injustices suffered by immigrants (especially' coloured' ones) in the crowded streets of the city he lived in, Hugh was having a drink with a colleague after work, when a man near by uttered a poisonously racist remark. Taking himself and his companion completely by surprise, Hugh turned and hit the speaker, hard.
One second, and a reputation could be lost, a career ended in disgrace, a happy family reduced to penury.
Appearing before the magistrate, Hugh was told that sentencing would be delayed pending further enquiries.
Elizabeth was keeping her voice steady with great difficulty when she phoned to ask me to pray for Hugh. Both her husband and mine, devout men and devoted fathers had died some years before. We had never missed them more. Of course I promised to pray, and prayed for Hugh, with all my heart, in the days that followed. It was about six weeks later when Lizzie rang again, crying this time: All charges formally dropped, she got out – “Oh, thank God!” I shouted. We talked a little more, before returning, bursting with relief, to a normal day.
Several days passed before 1 began to question my own reaction. Yes, l had said “Oh, thank God!'' but 1 had undoubtedly said it as an everyday expression. I had not knelt to thank Him as l had knelt to pray for Hugh.
Once the desperate prayers had been answered, the feeling of thankfulness remained, yes, but 1 had ceased truly to thank God, with humility and loving gratitude. How often before had I used that phrase, meaning little more than “I’m so happy!'' or “What a relief!” We had asked God for a great blessing. He had heard our prayer. How could 1 not truly thank Him day after day, week after week, with all my heart?
Thank you, Lord! Amen.
A parishioner
- The Silent Movie Show
- This very successful event, held at Wellington Barn on 23rd October in aid of the Myasthenia Gravis Association which relies entirely on charity, raised over £2,000. The exact sum is not available yet as Gift Aid donations are still being calculated but it will be a splendid aid to research, education and support for those who suffer from this debilitating condition. Indeed it has very recently been much in the news following the very sad case of a young child who died following the controversy over discontinuing his life support with no hope of recovery: it can be that severe.
I have a number of general people to thank including everyone who attended and those who could not but never-the-less sent in a donation. Also to David for making Wellington Barn available and organising the drinks and canapés; the seating and helping with the general logistics involved. But most of all to James Harpham for his brilliant performance and his most able Projectionist, Adam Walton, who both donated their time and talents towards achieving help for this worthwhile cause. Also grateful thanks to all those people who kindly contributed raffle prizes and then bought tickets!
I had such wonderful ‘feed-back’ from those who came along which was that it was much enjoyed and something quite different and a refreshing way to be entertained. It was great fun and for all those enquiring about more of the same, just contact James for his programme of future events which include several different films, all just as much fun to watch and with an equally splendid musical score. Thanks again everyone. Sandy Maundrell.
Photographs
- Community Photographs
Did you know that we have a fabulous community photograph gallery? Filled with pictures of the various villages and churches, like this one for example:
This wonderful handcrafted chair was made by Derek Eadon for the vestry in St Mary's.
We are always delighted to receive photographs from you to include in the gallery.
Recipes
- Braised Pulled Lamb Shoulder
- Spring is springing at last. Daffodils are blooming, bunny rabbits are frantically laying as many chocolate eggs as they can for the coming of Easter, Jack Frost is being asked to leave by the burly bouncer on the door and the little wee lambs are gambolling through the meadows although not for long when you all try to cook this month’s recipe for braised pulled lamb shoulder.
This dish is best made the day before you need it (what’s the hurry, this is REAL food, not some processed, supermarket derived ready meal!). What it lacks in speed of cooking it makes up for in lip smacking, sensual flavour.
Ingredients;
1 spring lamb shoulder
2 litres of good beef stock (hot)
1 large white onion, chopped
2 cloves of roasted garlic
Salt and pepper
1 cup of white wine
1 tablespoon of soft brown sugar
Day 1
Pre heat the oven to 200oC (come on, it’s the 21st century now, out with the Fahrenheit measure!)
In a frying pan, put a tablespoon of butter and fry the onion to brown all over. Add in the roasted garlic and fry for a minute or so before adding in the white wine and brown sugar. Bring to a simmer and reduce by half. Pour into a deep roasting/casserole dish and place the lamb shoulder on top. Pour over the stock, (the lamb needs to be at least half beneath the level of the liquid) add a generous amount of salt and pepper and cover with foil. Place into the oven and cook for 20 mins before turning the heat down to 150oC. Allow to cook for another 4 hours, checking occasionally that there is still enough liquid to cover at least half the lamb. If too much has evaporated, just top up with a little boiling water.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool until you are able to handle the lamb without burning yourself (no gloves please, you need to cultivate asbestos fingers if you want to get anywhere in the kitchen world). Remove the lamb from the cooking liquor and pour into a plastic or stainless container and refrigerate.
Taking chunks of the lamb shoulder between your fingers pull and tear the meat into fine strips and pieces and place in a mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper (make sure you taste it here, its all part of the fun), mould into a sausage shape and place onto a large sheet of cling film. Roll the cling film around and twist the ends to make a bon bon type package, twisting the ends until you have a firm, sausage like cylinder. Refrigerate overnight.
Day 2
Remove the fat from the top of the cooking liquor and set aside, place the liquor into a saucepan over a moderate flame and reduce by half.
Take the lamb “sausage” and slice into medallions approx 1 ½ inch thick (it will help to keep the cling film on while slicing, but remember to remove it before you go further…). Heat a fry pan over a high flame and add approx 1 tablespoon of the solidified fat from the cooking liquor (be careful as it may spit at you to start with, no one said it had to like you…) and fry the lamb medallions for 1 minute on each side to a deep brown colour. Carefully pour the reduced stock into the fry pan and bring up to a very gentle simmer and cover the pan with a lid or piece of foil and leave for a couple of minutes to heat the lamb through.
When removing the medallions from the fry pan, take care, they are fairly fragile, you don’t want all that hard work to go to waste just as you are putting it on to your plate!
Rod and Laura have recently moved out of Calstone, but would like to thank everyone in the village for being such fantastic neighbours and for making them feel so welcome. They can still be reached at McBaile Exclusive Catering on 01179 555 271 or 0782 77 77 988 or through the website www.mcbaile.com and they will be popping by every now and then to say hello so please stay in touch.
- BBQ’d Spring Lamb chops with Asparagus and Lemon dressing
- We welcome Rod McCormick and Laura, who recently moved into No. 9 in our village, and I’m pleased to say that Rod is willing to contribute a monthly article to our magazine. Here is the first one:
Laura and I moved into Calstone recently and have been overwhelmed with the welcome we have received from the locals. It really is lovely to be in the countryside and in the midst of friendly and welcoming neighbours. To be surrounded by budding trees and grass gives me a tingle of joy and reminds me that one of my favourite vegetables is at its best.
Asparagus. Those green and tender shoots which just cry out to be eaten and which tease us with the promise of the summer. In my 15 years as a professional chef, there are few vegetables which I look forward to so eagerly. The season is fairly short, so make the most of it and buy them when and where you can. There are so many different ways to deal with asparagus, but I think the best is to keep it simple. And remember, don’t throw away the thick woody end when preparing them, they are great for making soup. Hopefully the following recipe will inspire you to haul out those rusty BBQ’s that are lying in the garden shed and welcome the coming summer!
BBQ’d Spring Lamb chops with Asparagus and Lemon dressing
Spring Lamb grilling Chops
Bunch of English Asparagus
Handful of Rucola (Roquet) salad leaves
Squeeze of Fresh lemon juice
Half a teaspoon of honey
Olive oil
Fire up the BBQ.
Trim or ‘snap’ the asparagus, setting aside the woody ends for soups. Brush the tips with olive oil, and season.
In a bowl make a dressing with the lemon juice, honey, some olive oil, salt and black pepper.
Season the lamb chops and grill on the BBQ. About 2 minutes before the lamb is ready, place the asparagus on the grill and turn frequently until nicely browned. In a bowl place the asparagus and rucola and drizzle with the dressing. Arrange the lamb on your plate, smother with a good amount of the warm salad and garnish with toasted pita bread.
(Rod McCormick is a New Zealand born chef, new Calstone resident and owner of ‘ McBaile Exclusive Catering’ www.mcbaile.com)
- Rod McCormick’s Contribution for December and January
- Christmas, as always, seems to sneak up on me before I know it. Hardly has the summer rush died down before again I find myself running around on Christmas Eve shopping for last minute presents and up to my ears in mince pies, mulled wine and a never ending stream of Christmas themed pop songs.
Of course Christmas is a wonderful time of year which is perfect to allow ourselves to indulge in those treats which only seem to be enjoyed once a year. Crackers, candy canes, the afore mentioned mince pies, brandy butter and Brussel sprouts(!) to name but a few and all but forgotten for the rest of the year.
Brussel sprouts in particular are, unfortunately, shunned by a large percentage of the population both for the rest of the year and at Christmas. What a shame! To miss out on the earthy, pungent pleasures that a Brussel can bring is, in my opinion, one of life’s great tragedies. Boiling them to death is the main cause for their demise, releasing the sulphorous glucosinolate sinigrin, so treat them with some respect.
Cook them until just al dente, by simmering gently in good stock before draining. In a pan, fry a few lardons of bacon in some butter and add the drained brussels and toss to coat in the butter and bacon. This retains their colour; adding a vibrant splash of green to brighten the festive table. Season with salt, pepper and a hearty dash of good cheer and you have a feast fit for a king. Enjoy these little green gems and have a very Merry Christmas and joyous New Year!
Rod McCormick is chief proprietor of McBaile Exclusive Catering and Event Services. Tel: 01249 813600 www.mcbaile.com
- Rod McCormick’s Contribution for March
- The first budding snow drops of spring are upon us and what a relief! Store cupboards are nearly exhausted; fields fallow and the squirrels have almost eaten all their nuts. As long as you haven’t eaten them all already, now is a good time to use up all those stored nuts and what better accompaniment than something you may not have tried before, despite its somewhat rough round the edges charm. Celeriac is in good form at the moment, but don’t expect to get some hunky looking vegetable looking back at you from the green grocers shelf. But oh! Never has the phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover” been so aptly applied than to the Celeriac. Nutty, earthy, crunchy, smooth, creamy, svelte and wholesome are all plaudits that could be heaped on this wonderful vegetable depending on how it is treated.
Below is a recipe for a celeriac and walnut “slaw” which is a slightly wintery salad perfect for that transition period into spring, for all of you who have been hibernating over the winter months and still want to cling onto your cosy duvets a little longer.
Ingredients;
1 celeriac
A handful of walnuts (broken ones are fine)
2 carrots
A handful of chopped parsley (if its survived the winter!)
1 tsp toasted fennel seeds
1 lemon
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Using a cooks knife and taking great care, trim the skin from the celeriac (it can be quite thick in places so you may need to take a fair bit off) to expose the milky white flesh. Grate the celeriac and carrots into a large bowl and add in the rest and mix together. Season to taste. Simple yet tasty.
- Rod McCormick’s Contribution for September and October
- I recently had a request by one of my clients for Wild boar on his dinner party menu. Having had the pleasure of using wild boar on a few occasions in the past, I was happy to oblige. Then came the challenge of sourcing it, which proved a bit more difficult than I first imagined. After some research and many phone calls, I stumbled upon a fellow who produces free range boar on his farm in the Cotswold’s (www.therealboar.co.uk).
Tender, flavoursome and with good colour, Wild boar were the ancestor to the modern domestic pig, and it is an excellent and interesting substitute for pork, though somewhat more ‘gamey’.
Wild boar with apple and citrus jelly and apricot stuffing.
Ingredients:
1 loin of wild boar
Large bunch of sage, coarsely chopped
1 cup chopped dried apricots
1 medium onion, chopped
1 egg
4 slices of wholemeal bread, chopped
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 cup of cloudy apple juice
2 sheets of gelatin
In a bowl, mix together the bread, egg, sage, onion and apricots and season with salt and pepper.
De-bone the loin, lay skin side down and place the stuffing mixture on top. Roll the loin around the stuffing and secure with butchers string. Season the skin with ample salt and roast in a hot oven for 20 minutes, turn the heat down to 170oC, and roast for 1-1/2 hours until done. Remember to rest the meat in a warm place after roasting and before carving.
Citrus jelly: Soak gelatin in cold water. Add apple juice, lemon and zest and ½ teaspoon of salt to a pan and bring to the boil. Squeeze excess water out of gelatin and dissolve in the apple juice mix. Pour into small moulds and refrigerate until set.
October is the month for the ever popular pumpkin. A member of the squash family and related to cucumbers, the pumpkin is actually a fruit. Cultivated by Native American Indians, its flesh was dried and used to weave mats among other things. The pumpkin is perhaps most widely known for it’s use in Jack’o’lanterns, but it is also a versatile and tasty ingredient in the kitchen for dishes both savoury and sweet. Below is a really scrummy recipe for pumpkin soup:
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 clove of garlic
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 teaspoon of ground coriander
1 teaspoon of paprika
1 kg of peeled and chopped pumpkin
¼ cup of chopped fresh coriander
2 cans of coconut cream
¼ cup of roasted cashew nuts
Gently fry the onions until tender then add the chopped garlic and spices and fry for a couple of minutes. Add the pumpkin and enough water to just cover the pumpkin, and simmer until pumpkin is tender. Blend with a hand mixer, and add the coconut cream, roasted cashew nuts and coriander, bring up to a simmer, remove from heat, season and serve.
Rod McCormick is chef proprietor of McBaile Exclusive Catering and Event Services Tel: 01249 813 600 www.mcbaile.com
- Rod McCormicks Contribution for July - Rhubarb & Ginger Clafourtis
- A couple of weeks ago, Laura and I were kindly invited to our neighbour’s house for dinner where we had a fantastic Rhubarb crumble ice-cream. It got me thinking about this wonderful vegetable and how great it is if you have your own little patch growing.
Originating in Asia, rhubarb was valued purely for medicinal and ornamental reasons until the mid 18th century, when some clever Englishman (or woman!) had the great idea of eating some. So rhubarb can truly be called an English Food. Celebrate it and enjoy the season while it lasts.
Rhubarb and Ginger clafoutis
Ingredients: Butter and sugar for greasing, 550g rhubarb, sliced thickly, 200ml milk, 200ml cream, 150g caster sugar, 3 eggs, pinch of salt, 1 tsp grated root ginger, 50g flour
Method: Pre-heat oven to 190oC. Butter 6 tea cup size ramekins and sprinkle with sugar. Simmer the rhubarb in boiling water for 2 mins. Drain. Place the rhubarb in the dishes. In bowl, whisk the milk, cream, sugar, egg, salt and ginger. Sift in the flour and whisk well. Pour the batter over the rhubarb and bake until puffed and golden. Remove from the oven and serve dusted with icing sugar and oodles of clotted cream.
Rod McCormick, McBaile Exclusive Catering, 01249 813600 www.mcbaile.com