Dorking, Food, Photographs

Have a decent sized patio means that we can grow veg and herbs close to the kitchen and do as much as possible to protect them from the wildlife that are intent on chewing their way through anything. Here are 2009’s attempts at a laughably self-sustainable existence!:

This is my first crop of mint leaves, [...]

In 2007 we made a Nower Blackberry & Apple Crumble, after going blackberrying one saturday. This kept us in puddings for some days, albeit not sequential.
The Nower starts in Dorking and can be traversed all the way to Guildford.  At the Dorking end there is a field full of blackberries.  Being unprepared we emptied out [...]

Thinly sliced cured beef, homemade with the beef bought in Whole Foods, High Street Ken.  Just add salt, sugar and thyme.

We dined at the The Westerley some time ago with family and on a drive back from Wimbledon, we decided that we had to go again.
Husb is one for trying anything and that anything that night was calves brain for starters. I didn’t want him to order it, so I suggested that I’d prefer [...]

Having spent years with a handheld blender, ineffectively whisking, blending and chopping and splattering food everywhere, I decided it was time to find something a little better. I needed one that did everything rather than add to the pile of large powerful individual machines piling up in the kitchen (juicer, breadmaker). My crafty [...]

I have never seen such a vast Steamer Trading in my life. Mostly this meant a huge variety of stock, but it also meant there was space to swing a cat, which is often what is missing in this chain.
I gawped at the Marimekko, the Norman of Copenhagen, the Alessi and Gaggia…but came away [...]

Today we decided to go to Horsham, as it is close, and we fancied a wander around. Parked in the Swan Lane carpark (shudder) and wandered through a lack luster shopping centre and onto the streets of Horsham.
During the drive from Dorking we predicted that it would be like a cross between Farnborough and [...]

Pret has been my reliable lunch friend (I have no real lunch friends) for a few months since moving to S. Ken to work. We’ve had our ups and downs (mostly ups) but at least I know (or I think I know):-
* that the food is fresh and not badly treated (no beaten lettuces [...]

After reading about my friend Noo’s interview and the subsequent article in the Sunday Times by Lesley Thomas, I decided to break rank further (letting down womanhood by making things and being creative - so sorry Lesley!). Today, I made my first Jam (above).
Every year we have a (small) crop of plums from the tree [...]

I’ve changed my mind about those Turner sandwiches, last week I bought an egg and sausage one - and to my horror, found egg-shell in it (hmmm, crunchy!!!!). I pondered…’why hasn’t this happened to me before in my lifetime of egg eating?’…Surely it is quite easy for the manufacturer of egg-products to get shell in [...]