Saturday's Grub...

Saturday night last we had Billy's colleague Paudie and his lovely wife Linda in for dinner. I didn't take pics of the plates of food that were served, still at the stage when I think that's just a wee bit OTT - though my fingers were itching to get the camera or even the phone in action! The dishes below are recreations - from the leftovers - shhhhh!!! NOT leftovers from the plates!!!! no, leftovers from what was left in the pots when I'd served! - phew! just had to clarify that!

Linda and Paudie have grown a load of veg this year in their poly tunnel - lucky ducks!, and we have been lucky to have been the recipients of some fab courgettes which as it happens are one of my favourite veggies.

Saturday night's menu was Parmesan and watercress tartlets with baby leaf salad and homemade red onion marmalade. (No pic though I do have a fine kilner jar of the red onion marmalade in the fridge so will post a recipe and pic soon).

This was followed up with a serving of Courgette and Ginger soup, served in a little coffee cup. Aren't the cups so cute, they are from a set I bought my parents for their 20th wedding anniversary many many moons ago and have the most darling coffee pot, jug and sugar bowl to match. They are 33 years old almost - eek!!!! Obviously I bought them when I was in my pram!

Courgette & Ginger soup Recipe:

What you'll need:

One big courgette if you're lucky enough to have a home grown one or 2 supermarket sized ones, cut into dice of about 1 centimetre.

A piece of root ginger about 3 centimetres long, peeled and thinly diced.

3 banana shallots, peeled and chopped.

2 tablespoons oil.

500 ml chicken stock.

A good glug of cream, don't know how much I put in, maybe up to 200ml.

(Note: If you want a super healthy and low cal version omit the cream! But sometimes a little cream doesn't do us any harm and adds oodles of flavour!)

White pepper and salt.

What you'll need to do;

Put the oil in a largish saucepan, add the shallots, lightly fry for about 3 mins, add the diced ginger and fry for a minute.

Add the diced courgette to this along with the chicken stock and bring to the boil, then simmer for about 6 minutes till soft.

Liquidise it all with either a stick blender or in a liquidiser. If doing it in a liquidiser be careful and wrap a tea towel round the bowl of it cause it can explode out of the bowl and we don't want that do we!

Return to the saucepan.

Finally add the cream and seasoning.

Garnish with some finely chopped ginger and a couple of dots of oil before serving.

To follow this we had oven roasted monfish stuffed with sundried tomatoes and thyme, wrapped in parma ham. This was served with black pudding mash, homemade pesto and caperberries.

When we were planning what to have for dessert I said it had to be chocolate - no arguments! So chocolate and raspberry mousse was decided upon. With it we served a caramel glass with pistachios and sea salt, so kicking myself I didn't take a pic of that, and it was all gone by the time I took this pic. Anyways here's a pic - recipe another time!