April Big Picture

In Season - Winchester Watercress

It’s only a couple of weeks until the Alresford Watercress Festival which takes place just a few miles down the A3 from me. During a day of community celebration, the elected Watercress King and Queen travel down the main street atop a horse and cart and distribute the first of the season's harvest to festival goers.

Iron rich, vitamin fuelled, nose twistingly peppery and utterly delicious, watercress is often overlooked as an ingredient despite its similarity to rocket. For the best of the crop look for fat clusters of wet, deep green leaves and eat as soon after picking as possible (it is notoriously perishable)

Here are some delicious watercress menu ideas for your next event...
- Starter: Gingered watercress soup with toasted sesame seeds
- Main: Duo plate of watercress blinis with smoked trout and cucumber vermicelli
- Salad: Organic watercress with roasted sweet potato and toasted walnuts
- Canapé: Seared fillet of beef in Yorkshire puddings with watercress hollandaise
- Fish: Roast monkfish on crushed potatoes topped with watercress
- Afternoon tea: Finger sandwiches of wafer honey baked ham, cream cheese and watercress

London in Surrey: Nonsuch Mansion

It's been just nine months since the end (or I suppose the beginning!) of our most epic project to date - refurbishing, rebranding and relaunching Nonsuch Mansion

To say that this Surrey venue has become a labour of love for Bovingdons would be a huge understatement. Well before the contract was won, we had fallen completely in love with this treasured venue and could not wait to throw open its doors and help make it the success it deserves to be. The 2010 / 2011 diary acts as reassuring evidence that plenty of others feel as passionately as we do.

Set at the heart of 300 acres of sumptuous parkland, its features appeal to both head and heart. In a practical sense it has a prime location (half an hour of London Victoria, minutes from the A3 Tolworth), space for up to 250 guests, a fascinating history and a perfectly flat lawn with plenty of scope for marquees.

But the real test of a venue is always in the way that being there makes you feel and the first few hosts have told us that they felt "cherished", "serene", " and "like royalty" on their important night.

You can read more about the venue the website, or for all of the mansion happenings and news you can read the Nonsuch Mansion blog or join the hundreds of followers and fans on Twitter and Facebook. And, of course, watch this space!

The Sweet Smell (and Taste) of Success

As you can probably tell, the chefs and I adore any opportunity to work with a client with exacting standards, impeccable taste and high expectations. A challenging (or even impossible sounding) brief fires my imagination, as does the chance to transform a brand into a dish or distil its message into a bite.

Last week we served the result of a really great brief for the private launch of a new scent collection at Leighton House. We had been asked to create a menu to satisfy the tastes of eminent fashion, beauty and lifestyle editors as well as present food that would be a perfect representation of the well-known fragrance brand. Every item served needed to reflect the values of the company and entice the busy journalists to linger on and learn about their fabulous new product.

This bespoke breakfast and brunch menu was served during two separate morning and afternoon sessions. Each item was designed to be especially petite, smaller than a typical bite sized canape. Perfectly cooked, carefully prepared morsels to suit our client's perfectly tailored guest.

(If you are curious about the launch, click here to read a full report)

Breakfast

Tiny crisp new potato filled with sausage, bacon, tomato and mushrooms

Mini waffle cones with creamed eggs and smoked salmon with chives

Fresh blinis with smoked salmon, cream cheese and capers

Quails egg Royale

Brioche French toast with orange infused rhubarb

Ricotta cakes with fresh blueberry compote

Prism skewers of morsels of fresh fruit

Shot glass of light granola and yoghurt

Brunch

Seared fillet of beef on watermelon cubes with pickled ginger

Sultana bread croute with Dolcelatté, caramelised fresh fig and pomegranate

Julienne vegetables wrapped in Bovingdons cured salmon

Asparagus bundles tied with chives with a vanilla pomegranate mayonnaise

Cucumber cups of lemon, tarragon chicken

Herb blini with Crayfish tails and mirin spaghetti of cucumber

Ricotta cakes with oven roasted plum tomatoes and basil

Herb ficelle of lime cured cerviche of sea bream

Chilled Juices

Blood orange and grapefruit

Cranberry and watermelon

Fresh pear and vanilla

Refreshing Pressè

Watermelon, cranberry and rose water

Apple juice, elderflower, lime and mint

Pomegranate pressè with sparkling mineral water

Hot Beverages

Espresso shots

Fresh sweet mint tea

March Big Picture

The Orangery Holland Park decked out for a recent ceremony.

In Season - Forced British Rhubarb

I was delighted to read this morning that forced rhubarb has recieved EU protected status officially making it a jewel in the crown of British foods.

The North of England has long been known amoungst chefs as "The Pink Triangle" as this is where this humble vegetable (yes, vegetable) is still grown in darkened sheds and harvested by candlelight.

Now is the best time both to eat and to sow a crown or too. A great option for anyone seeking a guaranteed high-return for the bargain price of the occasional bucket of manure.

- Orange braised rhubarb with cool ginger soufflé
- Cardamom scented panna cotta with rhubarb coulis
- Rhubarb crumble and fresh vanilla ice cream

Hidden Treasure: Leighton House

Last week I was offered a first glimpse at the completed refurbishments at one of my all time favourite venues, Leighton House. It took my breath away, or (to quote The Independent's Charlotte Philby) "It has never looked better."

Bovingdons have been a listed caterer at this Holland Park gem for fifteen years and I must admit we have missed it dearly over the last 17 months. Leighton House has always been of those rare venues that feels both extravagant and intimate, opulent and elegant. I imagine this is why it has always been a favourite venue amoungst media and publishing fraternities.

If you would like a shortcut to their rapidly filling diary, call me quickly.

* Hidden Treasure: London's Leighton House is about to re-open after a £1.6m facelift, The Independent, Saturday 6 March 2010
* Leighton House Museum will open after revamp, The Metro, Monday 9th March
* Front Row (listen again), BBC Radio 4

Very Vegetarian

It’s very rare (but not unusual) for me to be asked to cater a whole event for one special diet – although once or twice a year we do find ourselves creating a completely vegetarian menu. More often than not, the host presents us with a range of meat / no meat related menu requirements that need to be met anything from religious considerations and ethical sympathies, to fad trends and phobias (yes food phobias) and everything in-between.

Whilst I am a definite carnivore, my sympathies truly go out to those poor guests destined to spend most of the wedding season eating quiche and roulade because of uncreative, uncaring catering. I always design any special diets around a main menu and find something that looks similar. This level of attention to detail always helps a host to show that they care. For example...

Canapes

(these example cover all bases and are delicious for all guests)

 Tea marbled quail’s eggs with smoked paprika and herb mayonnaise

Shots of warm white bean cappuccino with lemon oil

Brick pastry parcels of artichoke hearts, parsley and lemon

Broad bean falafel with pecorino and a fresh mint dipping sauce

Bamboo pots deep fried feta with prism skewers

Vegetarian Buffet

(examples from our first 100% vegetarian wedding of 2010)

Chickpea, spinach and coriander Tagine with apricots and dates

Warm cous cous with quinoa, orange and pistachios

Cauliflower and cumin fritters with lime yoghurt

Roasted sweet red peppers filled with Kosheri rice

Roasted winter vegetables with sage and roasted garlic

Jerusalem artichoke and Swiss chard gallette

Vegan Three Course

(remember vegan often means no dairy or fish as well as no meat)

Saturn bowl of fresh asparagus, artichoke hearts, blistered
cherry tomatoes and avocado, with chervil and mustard dressing

Roasted vegetable stack with marinated aubergine, char grilled zucchini,
piquello peppers on grilled radicchio with pine nuts and salsa verde

Muscat marinated fruits with a fresh mango and vanilla bean sorbet

February Big Picture

Lavender meringue hearts with passion fruit cream on a spiral glass plate

as featured in You and Your Wedding Magazine.

In Season - English Oysters

Fresh oysters from Kent, Essex and Cornwall are considered to be amoungst the world’s finest food. They can be eaten all year round but are at their best outside of the May-August spawning season and, of course, must be as fresh as possible.

“He was a bold man that first ate an oyster” and indeed it is a brave host who chooses to serve them. Not everyone appreciates their bracing taste, but for those looking to impress, to indulge or to make use of their potent aphrodisiac qualities, they are a remarkably flexible additions to your event menu.

- For purists - passed raw from the shell on frozen trays with an offer of lemon or tobassco
- To impress - shucked to order from an iced bar and taken with Bloody Mary shot
- As a starter - poached oysters with blood orange jelly
- As a canapé - oyster beignet on a prism skewer with a ginger and chilli dipping sauce
- As a robust main - Oyster, beef and Guinness pie

Secret Garden: Westminster Abbey Gardens

Quite simply, the most exclusive and most sought after summer venue in London.

As far as I (and my clients) are concerned, nowhere comes close to matching its combination of heavenly gardens and incredible location.

It is also rare to find an outdoor venue where you can be utterly confident that all will be well inspite of an unpredictable British climate. Anything between 200 and 500 guests can enjoy alfresco cocktails in Big Ben's shadow, or if need be, seek sanctuary inside the framed marquee.

Impressive, central, grand, green, historical - Westminster Abbey Gardens ticks every box on the venue wishlist.

The catch? It is available for a mere 20 days in July.

The 2010 diary opens this week - I predict that my phone will be red hot with enquiries from those-in-the-know.

How to Throw a Corporate Ceilidh

Last week marked Burns Night and, as regular readers of our old newsletters will know, a time that we highly recommend you consider as an alternative for festive entertaining. Deck your chosen venue in tartan, with heather floral displays on every table and wow your guests with a Chieftain Haggis ceremony, lots of whisky tots and (of course) a piper. This menu was created for challenging clients who needed us to ensure that every ingredient of an otherwise traditional menu reflected their proud Scottish heritage and include plenty their own brand of premium whiskey.

Address to a Haggis

Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face,

Great chieftain o' the puddin-race!

Aboon them a' ye tak your place,

Painch, tripe, or thairm:

Weel are ye wordy of a grace

As lang's my arm.

Canapés

Oatcakes topped with Lanark blue cheese and fig

Venison sausages with port amd redcurrant sauce

Filo tartlets with Finnan haddock mousse

Starter

Smoked Scottish salmon, baby salad leaves

with homemade brown bread, Ballantine’s butter and lemon wedge

Haggis

 wi’ bashit neeps an’ champit tatties

Main

 Roast sirloin of Scottish beef, roast potatoes, braised red cabbage,

fine green beans and a rich whisky jus

Dessert

 Pear and thyme tart
served with whisky cream

Afters

 Fresh teas and tisanes

with tablet and whisky truffles